


Effects of Venom

by A26



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Jungle, Alternate Universe - Military, Anal Sex, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Awkward Boners, Awkward Sex, Blood, Blow Jobs, Character Death, Field Surgery, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Frottage, Gore, Growing Up, Gun Violence, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kidnapping, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Male Solo, Outdoor Sex, Physical Abuse, References to Drugs, Secret Smoochies, Slow Build, Switching, Tropical setting, Verbal Abuse, low-key relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 17:35:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 201,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4675421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A26/pseuds/A26
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ragako is a developing, culturally rich tropical country famous for all the wrong reasons. It is home to some of the planet's most uncomfortably humid weather, it is blanketed by roughly 95% rainforest which is full of dangerous animals, as well as the civil war between the military and the jungle drug lords. </p><p>Eren is a young boy with aspirations of joining Ragako's military, much to his mother's displeasure. When his home town of Shiganshina is raided for supplies and he is taken hostage by the very jungle rebels he has dreamt of fighting, he's in for a world of trouble...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ragako

There’s a country in this cruel world that identifies by the name of Ragako. 

Geographically the landscape could be considered treacherous, uneven and uninhabitable by humans. There are steeping cliffs and deep, wide rivers, the temperatures are painfully hot and the humidity is suffocating. Many a traveller have ventured in, only to not return in such quantities that the country has built such a reputation that it is now avoided largely by anyone other than it’s residents. The main reason most people tend to avoid it is largely because the entire country is enveloped by a thick, tropical and dangerous rainforest.

The moist forest’s trees are wild, unmanaged and primarily untouched by human interference, making them wild, unpredictable and unmapped. Fresh, virgin snow, some may say, for those daring or stupid enough to venture beyond its treeline. Some trees stand at over eighty metres in height. The only way into the most remote of villages is via boat on the large river, which carves it’s way through the heart of the country. 

This broad river spans across the country’s impressive length, coursing through Ragako for thousands of miles. Its drainage area is likely the entire country, spreading out into the neighbouring territories for hundreds of thousands of square kilometres. 

Toward the end of the river’s course it splits wide into two at it’s lower areas, separating a large piece of the country’s land aside from the rainforests. The terrain becomes flatter, more cultivated and much more inhabitable. In fact, at least 95% of the country’s population resides in this large piece of land bordering the sea. The rest of the inhabitants in that 5% are tribal villages that have never been contacted, or hunters, rebels or the military. 

Part of why travellers never re-emerge from these forests across the river is primarily down to inexperience with the terrain and diverse wildlife, but partly due to the rebels who live in camps in the rainforest. These rebels are known as Titans, and their growth over the last century has been phenomenal. The primary reason for their exponential growth in both profits and numbers has been due to their using the forest as coverage for jungle laboratories, producing cocaine and marijuana for export. 

Their trade has become much more aggressive in passing years as the military branches of the country dedicated to the protection of it’s people and it’s country’s poor reputation have implemented key bulwarks at strategic crossing zones of the river. For the titans to successfully export their goods, they would need access to the land area belonging to the estuary towns and villages. The estuary land is set up into a complex of three distinct districts, or walls, as the locals call them. 

The furthest to the sea, Mitras (known by the locals as the Capitol), is built high like your everyday first world country city. It is a harbour city, which offers multiple huge docks for trade, most of which being exports of jungle products such as hides, wood and honey. These products mainly come from the two outer rings, which are much closer to the jungle itself and have much more land for production. 

The middle ring of Ragakan civilisation, Rose, is primarily dedicated to industrial businesses and establishments. The industrial region of the country does not venture too far from the Capitol, only stretching out for a handful of tens of miles before the estuary finally gives way for the final district, Maria. It has not expanded too far in favour of maximising space available for raw material production and to ensure infrastructure remains reliable. Building a city on an estuary is touch and go, but the Capitol is long since well established with all necessary fail-safes in place. 

Maria, the final district, is home to multiple much smaller towns and villages, stretching from the outskirts of the city all the way up to the two sides of the huge river. In the villages closest to the river, there is a high military presence protecting the citizens from the likes of Titans seeking to smuggle goods into the region. It is not illegal to travel across the river, although due to the intense level of drug trafficking that Ragako has unfortunately become infamous for, checkpoints and cargo searches are mandatory. 

The military divisions in place have been set up into four categories. 

Firstly, at the age of sixteen, any male or female citizen may enlist to join the military. They are paid a basic wage for their service and offered accommodation, clothing and food. This applies to all branches of the military in Ragako. 

Trainees begin by taking part in two years of studying to ensure they have the mental information they will need for their time serving their country. They are taught about the heritage, the people as well as the terrain. Most importantly they are educated on political matters both inside and outside of the country. Soldiers are socially well informed on humanitarian issues, so that they can function as adults outside of service. 

The country’s education system, should pupils carry on into further education is much of the same information. 

After these initial two years, the recruits begin physical training and survival skills. They are taught the fundamentals on how to handle, care for and maintain weapons, as well as how to craft a weapon from materials contained within their surroundings. Trainees don uniforms embroidered with two swords crossing until they graduate three years later at the ages of twenty-one. 

Once at this stage, recruits are either chosen for service in the Capitol. If they are not chosen, they will have two other options to choose from for the remainder of their service. It is possible to move regiments once you’ve chosen one, but movement rates are generally low. Only 10% of recruits request a career change, and it’s not usually out of personal choice. 

Recruits who are chosen for work in the Capitol become members of the Military Police, uniforms embroidered with green unicorn symbols. These members of the military are enlisted to serve and protect the thousands of residents in the built-up cities near the sea. They are the average police force of your average civilised city. 

The regiment of the two remaining that is more often chosen over the other due to survival rates, is the Garrison, uniforms embroidered with a red rose. These are the soldiers found more commonly close to the bridges cutting the villages away from the jungles, checking waypoints and making arrests for anyone caught smuggling narcotics. These soldiers are the front line men and women who protect the country from its self. 

Garrison soldiers rarely venture into the jungles across the bridges, instead defending from anything within from crossing the rivers from the safety of their own side. 

The final regiment recruits are able to join is the Scouting Regiment, uniforms embroidered with crossed wings in black and green. The most recognisable part of the uniform is the fact that it is nearly never seen on Maria’s side of the rivers. It is the Scout’s sole task to infiltrate and observe the Titans, track their whereabouts and movements, smoke them out and eradicate them. 

Over the years of operation, the regiment’s survival rate has slowly improved. It began with inexperienced recruits given a task to find the enemy, only sending people unprepared for the only thing in the jungle more dangerous than the Titans. 

The jungle itself. 

Once proper training on surviving in a tropical rainforest was given, survival rates increased but with frequent fights with guerrilla fighters, the rates of success were often hindered by high death rates. Given the size of the rainforest they were set to explore, when it can take days to travel a few miles, the Scouting regiment wasn’t the favourable choice for career paths. Scout members had higher chances of being taken away by a Jaguar whilst sat on the toilet than they had of stumbling across a Titan stronghold, base or laboratory. Or so the records have displayed over the last several decades. 

Which is precisely why Carla Yeager, a thirty-something housewife in a village named Shiganshina bordering the river was upset to have to tell her ten-year-old son Eren, that she didn’t want him joining the military. Again. Especially not the Scouting Regiment. She had frequently scolded him for wanting to join something so dangerous but his consistent response would be that he doesn’t want to grow up to be “stuck behind the river” for the rest of his life. 

“Why not move to the city to study like your father?” Carla reasoned with the boy, who was having absolutely none of it. He folded his arms at the dinner table and scowled at his untouched dinner. Stubbornness etched into his every facial muscle before another outburst. 

“Because the Titans can’t keep us caged in here forever! Who knows what’s out there!” He essentially yelled, throwing his arms up animatedly, grumbling in annoyance something about being stuck behind dumb rivers. 

His father Grisha Yeager was originally from a country to the east, Karanese, more towards the northern hemisphere of the globe. He had travelled to Ragako in search of access to un-discovered plants and wildlife, particularly snakes, whose venom would prove useful in developing medical serums and pharmaceuticals. He had originally worked for a huge medical company but had left in favour of remaining in the country once he’d met a local, Carla, and fallen in love. 

He’d not spoken a word of the language and Ragakan was a fairly unpopular language amongst scholars from foreign countries. Who would want to study a language of a country you’d fear visiting? So Grisha had brought his native, more globally common tongue to the family household in the small farming village of Shiganshina, where the couple have lived to this day. Except for one addition of a headstrong, green-eyed young boy with aspirations of becoming potential jungle food. 

The regiment’s survival rates have improved over the years, but each mission into the jungle still exceeds death tolls over thirty per cent. A minimum of three out of every ten who left wouldn’t return alive, or at all, taken as missing in action to the dense forest. Whether they were taken by disease, deadly animals or potentially native tribes, the death toll was rarely caused by titans, rather the search to find them. How they evaded capture or discovery within such a deadly environment _and_ actually managed to prosper well, was beyond comprehension of even the most intelligent tacticians the army had on offer. 

Titans would often perform raids to the villages closest to forest on either sides of the river and use the opportunity to strike for vital jungle supplies such as chlorine tablets, medicine and other essentials. The Yeager’s village was only recently raided a few weeks prior and left with significant casualties. There were not so many deaths as there were injuries or kidnapping, but a loss nonetheless. 

The Titans were known to take women or children and had a reputation for having no qualms with cutting down men trying to defend their families or the elderly who most presumed they deemed as worthless and fragile. They favoured the young and healthy and more often than not those taken were not seen again, taken away into the unknown of the undergrowth across the river. What with the survival rates of the Scouts, rumour around the three districts had it that the Titans suffered similar losses to the jungle and thus required replenishment of their ranks. 

Shiganshina was a village no different to these raids. Multiple attacks had happened in the past although over the years they were becoming far more frequent. The Yeager family had often spoke of moving to the next town in towards the sea where it would be safer and they would still be able to make a living for themselves. The raids had often left women raped and bruised and more than one bastard child living in the village was sired by an unknown rebel.

Aside from the obvious threat looming over from the densely forested cliffs beyond the treeline, Shiganshina was a reasonably peaceful place to reside. Their main trade came from a collective effort between the people to produce honey, and in the land close to most homes contained several hundred manmade beehives. Grisha Yeager spent his time travelling between nearby villages to supply medical aid, whereas Carla spent her days teaching her son Eren the ways of honey production. 

By the time Eren had reached his eighth birthday he was well accustomed to beestings. He had expressed little interest in learning his mother’s trade, although took part in it anyway. He was young but he understood there was an age limit on signing up for the military. He counted the days despite every one feeling like a year. 

Patience was a virtue, which Eren Yeager did not possess. 

Walking down the dirt path with their white net hats draped over their shoulders, Carla and Eren headed toward the hives with Carla carrying a caddy of jars and thick rubber gloves. They would smoke the bees to calm them before opening each panel and removing the comb into the jars. Eren would often attempt to pinch a little to taste but was instantly reprimanded by his mother and told to wait, less he wanted to be stung on his tongue. Which he didn’t. 

Grisha had come to the table that very morning and informed his family he was travelling up-river to the next village to assist with a birth. Carla had given him a hug and a peck on the lips and Eren had simply waved goodbye, saying he’d see him later. He didn’t much enjoy leaving his family for days at a time but he and his wife understood his job was important to the region they lived in, as medically trained doctors were few and far between, making him an invaluable asset. 

“I’m bored” Eren whined, scuffing his toe against the ground as Carla finished tidying the full jars into the caddy, closing the last of the hive’s drawers. 

“We’re going now, I’ll make you some warm honey milk when we get back” she reasoned with the impatient boy, who beamed instantly and hopped excitedly on the spot at the idea. 

“Yay!”

The trek back to his home was short, although in the humidity of Ragako’s dry season, every step felt like a mile. Carla took a moment to arrange the morning’s work and began to prepare Eren’s drink. He sat himself at the windowsill and gazed out towards the forest from the back of the house. He glanced lazily through the window and spotted a short plume of smoke rising from the treeline. Kneeling up onto his knees, he pressed his hands against the glass and stared closer. 

“Eren, your milk is ready. Wait for it to cool down first.” 

The boy scurried over to the table, sat down obediently and instantly took a sip from the mug, spitting it out across the thick wooden table as it instantly burnt his tongue. 

“Eren! I told you!” Carla didn’t raise her voice, but there was still annoyance lacing her tone. Eren winced half at the burn and half at his mother having been correct. 

“Come here” she cradled his chin with a hand, offering him a sip of cold water from her glass. Her hold on the glass shuddered and she tightened her grip somewhat as she put it down, barely avoiding spilling it down Eren’s front as a distinct gunshot rang through the air. It was not close, but it was still audible, so it was close enough. Eren’s hot milk went completely abandoned as Carla ushered him upstairs into the master bedroom, drawing the curtains enough to conceal her and peeking out to the front of the house that overlooked the nearby houses and street. 

“What’s going on?” Eren asked, displeasure of being pulled away from his milk written all over his face as he rubbed his arm where his mother had firmly taken hold of it to drag him upstairs. 

“It’s nothing, Eren. Just be quiet for a moment” she encouraged him with a soft tone, moving quietly across the room to kneel before him, tenderly straightening his shirt and brushing his bangs away from his eyes. A few muffled voices became somewhat more audible as bodies approached from down the street, followed by some much closer gunshots. Eren wasn’t foolish enough to believe they were safe right now.

“Now remember Eren, I love you, and to trust me. Okay?” 

Eren furrowed his brows tightly, confusion and brimming retaliation bubbling up in his sea-green eyes. “But!” 

“No buts, Eren! Just for once, _please_. Just listen to me?” Eren snaps his mouth shut, reluctantly pushing down his will to fight, his lips pressing into a thin line before he gives his mother a curt, sulky nod. He folds his arms and frowns, sitting in a huff onto the foot of her bed as she moves across the room quietly to open her wardrobe, slowly moving some boxes out of the way from the corner. 

Carla flinched, as there was a loud knocking reverberating through the woodwork of the house, coming from their front door. Carla had hoped she would have had a little more time, but felt her precautions would suffice for her son, if of course he obeyed her. She waved him over without a word and took an arm, placing it around her son’s shoulder, pulling him close into a tight hug. As he slowly wrapped his arms around her waist, she whispered into his ear. 

“I love you so much Eren, now I need you to hide for me.” Carla was close to tears but she kept them held back for the time being, not wishing to scare her child. Eren leaned back and turned his head toward the space she’d made in the corner of the wardrobe. He would fit comfortably, that much he could see. What didn’t rest comfortably with him was the very act of hiding. 

“We should fight them!” he snapped at her, although as quietly as he could, his voice coming out a mere squeak as he tried to contain his rage. “It’s so unfair that we roll over like tame dogs for them!” He was becoming restless so his mother hugged him tighter and released him to kiss his cheek, pushing him towards the gap in the solid piece of standing furniture. Eren resigned for the time being to please his mother, since she was starting to look genuinely frightened by the volume of his voice. Once happy with his positioning, she reminded him to stay completely quiet and to not come out unless she specifically told him to. 

He nodded, she closed the door. 

Eren could spot a small sliver of light coming from between the panes of wood where the door hinged, but since he was in the corner of the wardrobe rather than the centre, he could see very little through the gap, if anything at all. The best he caught was the shadow of his mother presumably checking whether he was visible. With a muffled “I love you” coming through the door of the wardrobe, silence fell amongst the hung clothes. 

Eren scowled at nothing as he stewed in the pathetic nature of it all. Hiding like roaches hide from the light. Creatures to be stamped out with a rolled up newspaper or swatted away like a mosquito. Eren despised village life, since he was unable, in his eyes, to provide cause to any noticeable greater good besides filling some fat merchant’s pockets with coinage. 

Truly pathetic. 

A foreign shout coming from downstairs a few long moments later roused Eren from his lividly heated thought process. Suddenly his senses lit aflame, becoming acutely aware of his hearing and sense of smell, since there was nothing to see, touch or taste. He felt his heart rate quicken and he held his breath as best as he could, as often as possible to ensure what he was hearing was accurate. He could hear footsteps, crashing glass and suddenly his heart sank when he heard a woman’s voice screaming, followed by a series of loud thuds, bangs and clunking noises which appeared to only grow closer and closer, louder and more frequent. 

Slapping a shaky hand to his mouth to prevent a sob escaping, Eren instantly recognised the moment when whoever had been outside, had let themselves in and upstairs with his mother. It didn’t sound like Carla was here willingly, judging by her cries of pain and her sobs that were muffled by the thick wooden wardrobe door. 

It took beyond every ounce of Eren’s willpower to remain in the wardrobe when what he could clearly hear was his mother in pain. Suddenly one of the unknown male voices sounded out, and since they were mere feet away from the door of the wardrobe, he could clearly make out the words. It was spoken in a peculiar Ragakan accent which Eren had never heard before, but aside from that, what the words spoke shot fear straight through his entire being. 

“Strip her, we’ll take turns!” 

Now furiously gripping both hands to his mouth as the tears streamed from his eyes, he clearly heard his mother’s voice in the front of his mind telling him to “ _stay in there no matter what_ ” and to “ _not come out, under any circumstances unless I tell you it is safe_.”

Of all the times his mother had forced him to obey her: why now? Why was she forbidding him from protecting her? Eren blinked and all he could see through the darkness within the wardrobe was the blood pumping through the veins in his eyes. He looked up and slowly stood, being careful not to make a single sound. He managed to silently manoeuvre his way over the boxes Carla had placed in front of him should the wardrobe be opened, and he began slowly and quietly removing the hung clothes from the rail. 

He would wince at every single muffled sob and cry, cracking noise and loud manly grunt. His lips were pursed together so tightly they may as well have been non-existent, his mouth replaced with a thin line of rage. He could hear groaning noises, laughing and occasional much more distant gunshots ringing from somewhere else in the village. The Yeager household wouldn’t be the only ones being assaulted today. They had escaped the last raid, but it seems they were not so fortunate this time. 

Eren spared a single glance through the crack of the wardrobe door from the centre crack and what he saw would remain with him for life. There were soldiers dressed in camouflage pants and jackets with black bandanas wrapped over the bottom halves of their faces, concealing their identities. The two men he saw standing over his mother, tearing at her clothes as she cried and tried helplessly to protect her decency, were clearly native Ragakans with tanned skin and dark brown hair, much like himself. 

In the brutality of the way they handled his mother, slapped her and forced her legs apart, Eren could only think one thing. He could still stop them. He could still _fight_. 

Nothing would quell his rage as he unhooked the metal bar above his head and carefully moved it in front of himself. It was a thin bar of metal, which was pointed at one end, specifically sharpened for moments such as this. Eren wasn’t sure his parents had intended for him to discover this but he was an observant young boy if nothing else. He had carefully noticed the way his father had hidden weapons about the house and adapted certain aspects of certain pieces of furniture to double up as self-protection. Also still retaining his childlike clairsentience he had picked up on the distinct household feeling of fear surrounding his parents whenever the Titans were mentioned, or whenever gunshots were heard in the distance. 

Eren stretched his neck out and carefully pushed at the door after listening closely to the number of voices. It sounded as if there were three men. He’d seen two manhandling his mother through the slit of the wardrobe door and the third sounded as though he were stood just off to the left. Having gently pushed the right side door open, he had enough of an understanding of the perpetrator’s locations and thus decided to allow the rage built in him to have free reign. To unleash his inner demons. To wreak havoc. To take back what was taken from his people. To stop the unjust with actions rather than words. 

Before he knew it, (or could really register what was happening to his mother on the bed beneath a mysterious man) he had the end of a man attached to the sharp end of his metal bar. The man attached to the end of his metal bar looked just as confused, dropping his gun as the bar left his chest with a subtle ‘shlick’ followed by a loud thud, blood squirting as the metal exited his wound. Eren turned on his heels quickly enough to catch the second man watching his cohort on the bed with Carla and ran at him with such force that the bar embedded straight into his gut as he turned to look. 

Carla by now had taken notice of what was happening and mortification spread over her features before she started renewing her struggles with the man attempting to snake his hands up her dress and into her undergarments. She was more concerned about the fact that Eren had revealed himself over the fact that he’d just killed two grown men. The look in Eren’s eyes was a completely feral golden colour, heated to molten temperatures with his rage. 

Only when Eren turned to the final man above his mother did he stop. She had stopped struggling and simply lay back on the bed, her skirt disturbed and half-way up her thighs and her chest heaving with her heavy breaths. The man looked over at Eren holding his bloodied makeshift spear and smiled. Smiled a toothy, part-gold, part-rotten grin which was as ugly as the gun he was holding to Carla’s head. 

Carla slowly lifted a few fingers from the bed in an attempt to keep Eren away, gently trying to dissuade him from attacking. “Eren, it’s okay…” she reassured him. There were tears attempting to escape his eyes, his entire body turning rigid as he prayed for the man to not pull the trigger. 

“Don’t try anything stupid, kid.” The man ordered, to which Eren’s rage only burned brighter, the grip on the metal bar so tight it turned his soft knuckles white. 

“Drop the bar,” the man said quietly. “And the bitch lives.” 

Eren glared daggers at the man with so much venom it could have transcended the look alone and dissolved into the man’s flesh. If only, Eren thought bitterly as he spat back at the intruder “Let her go first!”

The man rolled his eyes and cocked the gun. Eren bitterly scowled at him and dropped the bar with a loud thud, blood spattering the floorboards near his red-stained socks and trousers. 

“Boss we got a live one!” the man with the toothy, ugly grin called. Eren’s feet remained rooted into place for fear of the trigger being pulled. The self-restraint it took him to keep his mouth shut and his fists out of the man’s face was staggering. The only thing Eren wanted to do was blindly dig his thumbs into the man’s eyes until he bled and bled. He wanted to remove the arm holding that gun to his mother’s head and feed it to the bees. He wanted to feed the entire man to the bees, including his cohorts, which he could now hear loudly stomping up the stairs. 

The man took a step away from Carla and nodded at Eren, still holding his gun towards her, to which the young brunet boy instantly ran over towards the bed as his mother sat up, not bothering to adjust her clothes as she wrapped her arms tightly around her son. 

“Shh, Eren. It’s okay.” She tried to calm him, stroking his hair as he sobbed silently into her sleeve. There was no further time to console him though, as the door flung open and a tall, burly man walked through the door. 

“What the fuck is going on in here?” the tall man boomed before settling his eyes onto the pair on the bed, Carla’s arms protectively wrapped so tightly around Eren that he probably couldn’t breathe properly. She glared at the three new additions to the bedroom, the original goon still holding her at gunpoint, to which she attempted to angle her back ever so slightly to remove Eren from the firing view. 

“What the fuck happened to these two?!” the man shouted, angry to a point which could _almost_ rival Eren’s earlier rage. 

“It was the kid!” the man admitted quickly. The tall man didn’t believe him at first until he set eyes on the blood coating Eren’s clothes as he detached himself from Carla enough to yell back at the tall man, his broad and towering demeanour doing nothing to put him off holding his tongue. 

“Take whatever you want, just don’t touch her!”

The four men laughed. 

By now they had all holstered their guns and the tall man took a step closer to the bed, to which Carla only tried to maternally place herself between Eren and harm’s way, if only with a subtle movement of her arm. It was enough partnered with a deathly glare to tell the man to stop advancing toward them. 

“You say he took both these guys out by himself, huh?” He barked, not looking over his shoulder. The man from before simply said yes. 

“Bring him with us.” 

Eren’s and Carla’s hearts instantly sunk but for completely different reasons. Carla held tightly to her son and tried moving away from the men approaching, however they were closed off into a bedroom on the first floor with little possible means of escape without injury. 

“Hand him over, bitch” the tall brute plainly stated. Carla was stood in front of Eren, who was now backed into the corner of the room between the window and the bed. When she clearly refused to surrender her son, the man simply pulled out his gun, pulled it face-level with her and cocked it. 

“How about now?” 

“No! Don't hurt her! I'll come!” Eren cried, trying to move his mother out of the way. She refused to move. 

Eren looked up at his mother, who had tears freely running from her eyes as she very slowly took a step to the side. Eren felt himself initially wash with relief as he was quickly and harshly heaved over a man’s shoulders. He caught a glimpse of his mother sinking to her knees. She called out to her son before he left her sight, crying that she would find him again, and the final thing Eren heard as he was hauled out of the room was a blood curdling, soul wrenching cry coming from her throat. It wasn’t a cry of pain or torture. This was the cry of a mother having her child taken from her. This was a cry of immense grief. 

They lugged Eren downstairs and he found that he didn’t notice when he had started to cry, but his cheeks were wet nonetheless to confirm it. The man holding him started downstairs with the tall, broad one, and one man still upstairs called down. 

“What do we do with the bitch?” 

The tall man turned to look up the stairs and then back at Eren before heading out of the front door, leaving his minions to collect their looted honey, clothing and in particular, Grisha’s medical kit. He spoke with a cold indifference as he left without so much as looking over his shoulder.

“Kill her” 

Eren screamed and kicked desperately at the man holding him over his shoulder, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling it had caused in his stomach from being bent over the man’s bony shoulder. This couldn’t be happening. She was safe. She let him go to stay alive and what good did that do her? Eren felt his rage re-emerging, fresh and violent and he bit deep into the back of the man’s neck, leaving a coppery taste in his mouth. 

“Ah! Fuck!” the man yelped, dropping the boy who seemed less than phased about being dropped so abruptly as he scrambled to his feet and ran at the man who’d given the order. He didn’t have a weapon and he didn’t care. He would sink his thumbs into his eye sockets and watch him scream. Not even the sound of a deafening gunshot from upstairs could stop his rage now. At the sound of it, Eren felt his heart clench uncomfortably tight as if that were it breaking for good, only to be replaced with molten, golden fury. 

Eren charges fruitlessly at his victim and meets face to face with the butt of his rifle. 

Then, blackness.


	2. Citronella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren finally finds out what's on the other side of the river. It's both beautiful, terrifying and painful.

Unsure of how long he had been sleeping for, Eren awoke later with a skull-splitting headache to a symphony of unfamiliar noises. His body felt heavy and his mind disorientated, with no clue where he was. His vision was dark and he was lying down in something, which was moving in foreign movements. He instinctually attempted to move his arms to curl around himself, tucking himself into a ball to try to cradle his pain but found that his arms were tightly bound behind his back. Upon closer inspection the boy discovered there was a fabric bag of some sorts over his head and suddenly his reality caught up with him. The Titans had taken him. 

The boy, despite his anger at his murdering captors, decided in the moment to resign to the pain he was feeling and simply laid still, feeling the movements against the hard surface he was uncomfortably lying on. Judging by the sloshing sounds and the gentle humming nearby, he concluded that he was on a boat. In which direction they were heading, he did not know. Not before long Eren found himself drifting in and out of sleep, much like the waves they were riding on into the unknown. 

Hours must have passed. Long, unsettling and very physically uncomfortable hours. Eren was starting to feel the dull ache in his side where he’d been lying as well as the strain in his shoulders and wrists where his hands and arms were bound behind his back. With a slight struggle and a lot of effort the boy heaved himself onto his front and managed to tuck his knees beneath him so that he could sit upright to hopefully take in his surroundings and collect his bearings. As soon as his head was upright, Eren could feel the strong gusts of wind slapping him about the face through the thinly woven material of the sack. 

He startled when he heard a click and a shuffle behind him, and whipped around so quickly he almost lost his balance. He could just barely see that there was a singular man in the boat with him, holding a long dark figure that must have been a rifle. 

“Don’t get any bright ideas kid,” the man said. The silhouette Eren could see was that the man was sat at the back of the boat, hunched over the rudder handle with a cigarette in his hand. Eren simply turned his head to attempt to get a better view of his surroundings. He was on a small, narrow river boat and by looking from left to right despite the darkening sky, he could tell that the river was significantly narrower than he had ever seen. He was used to seeing it from his bedroom window, stretching well over half a mile in width. If the boat he was in were turned sideways, this part of the river wouldn’t be able to accommodate it. 

“Where are we going?” He asked the man, not looking in his direction, squinting at the thick tree lines on the banks of the river through the cloth. The man didn’t answer. Further hours passed and the sky darkened to black. It was the dead of night when the boat stopped, rousing Eren from his uncomfortable sleep. The sounds of boots stomping, rustling bags and men’s muffled voices further awoke him as he tried to sit up. Before he could manage though, a firm hand grabbed the back of his shirt, hauling him up quickly and unexpectedly. It took a moment for his feet to find themselves, but he managed to walk once the hand gave him a shove in an unknown direction. 

Eren couldn’t deny that he was scared. He was scared shitless. The only thing he wanted to do was go home and drink his mother’s home-made honey milk that was probably still sat on the kitchen table. He wanted to curl up into her arms and be warmly embraced in return. Eren felt a choked sob escape his throat and the material of the bag started to cling to where the tears began to fall. He had no idea where he was, who these men were, or what would become of him. He was also scared that his dad would have to come home to not knowing where he was and his m… his mother… 

Eren sobbed silently as he refused to think about home. He couldn’t go there now. Maybe not ever again. He'd never see his mother, his father, his friends from school or even the boy who lived next door that would pick on him. As hard as he may try though, he couldn’t get his mother’s voice out of his head. “I will find you, Eren,” she had promised, before being shot dead. Ha, some promise, the boy scoffed to himself bitterly.

Eren could hear dogs barking and men talking in a Ragakan accent that even for him as a native speaker was hard to pick up. He was shoved to the ground and the bag was harshly pulled from his face, plastering his brown bangs to the side of his cheek. With the sudden waft of fresh air, Eren was finally able to see properly, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the flickering lights and the peculiar smell in the air. It was thick, tangy and musty and was _almost_ covered up by something sharp and citrusy. 

The tall man from earlier emerged before him, looking down at him across the bridge of his covered nose. Eren flinched as the man cocked his gun and pointed it at him. He refused to submit though, keeping his eye contact glaring at the man, since his eyes were the only visible thing about him. 

“Right, you worthless sack of shit. Here’s the deal. You try to escape, we shoot you. You try to fight, we shoot you. Got it?” 

Eren didn't so much as flinch, likely spending all of his energy on containing his rage. He nodded once shortly afterwards, still glaring daggers as his tears dried to his face. Two men approached and despite the bandanas covering their faces, he recognised the one he’d bitten almost instantly. If the fact that the man was adjusting the fabric tape of a fresh bandage to the nape of his neck wasn’t the biggest giveaway. The tall one turned and greeted them with a word Eren didn’t understand and the one with the bandage looked down at Eren for a moment before walking over to briskly land a steel capped boot straight into the boy’s face. 

Eren’s left cheek erupted in pain as he was kicked to the ground and without having his arms to shield him from the fall, his right side took the full impact against the mud. The brown haired boy wheezed and coughed as the pain spread across the whole side of his head, amplifying his headache tenfold and he could faintly hear men laughing before he received another blow to his abdomen, again, unable to shield himself using his arms.

The footsteps left him and he tentatively moved his jaw, testing the pain levels. Some teeth had definitely been dislodged and Eren felt maybe two or three floating around in his mouth, only to be confirmed as three when he spat blood, half of it drooling down his cheek as he felt too exhausted to expel it with any additional force.

He felt himself be dragged to his feet again by another pair of hands, and he felt the barrel of a rifle prodding into the small of his back, so with a wince, he began walking. The man behind him guided him into what looked like a makeshift camp. It didn’t appear that the camp had been here for very long because he spotted men still pitching tents in the dark, tying up hammocks and lighting peculiar yellow candles. The candles were absolutely everywhere and Eren couldn’t help but wonder what they were made out of. He passed one and caught the very distinct citrus scent from earlier. It was pleasant and soothing and almost smelt clean. He had never smelt anything like this before, so Eren was curious and intrigued at the same time. His pondering didn’t last long however as he was stopped outside a large, raised kennel. 

“Seriously?” the boy spat at his captor. 

The kennel was constructed of a raised wooden platform, presumably to keep the dogs off the wet ground of the forest, and had corrugated metal walls with a single sheet balanced over the top and held in place with breeze blocks to provide shelter from the rain. The kennel contained three dogs, large mastiffs of some sort, possibly crossbreeds. They weren’t any dogs Eren had seen on Shiganshina’s side of the river and they didn't look well kept, most scratching at themselves or licking patches of their bodies raw.

The dogs lay upon muddied towels and growled at him softly as the man pushed him toward the door after unbinding his wrists, telling him to “get in”. Eren frowned as his entire body ached as he bent down to open the small grid metal door and crawled in nervously. It was a small space, but the dogs didn’t seem bothered by him joining them. Did they have visitors often? Eren wondered. He turned to face the man who had led him here and he proceeded to padlock the door shut, effectively imprisoning him. 

That night would be the first of many worst nights of Eren’s life. 

He remained by the door of the kennel the entire night, unable to sleep a wink. He would attempt to drift off but would either be awoken by the cold or a foreign animal noise close by. The symphony of different noises was staggering and frightening. Eren had definitely heard about all kinds of poisonous amphibians, reptiles and other dangerous animals that lurk in the jungle, such as big cats as well as poison plants. Every single little noise Eren could hear would spark his fear in the unknown, having no idea whether he was safe and knowing too little to know differently than to play it safe and fear everything. All he knew was the jungle was a dangerous place and that humans weren’t meant to reside here, with good reason. 

With groggy, heavy eyelids and an aching, sore body, Eren awoke feeling restless to dripping on his forehead. Groaning, he moved his head slightly, only for the dripping to land on his ear, which earned another groan of discomfort. Figuring with the array of noises in it’s full early morning swing, Eren knew he wouldn’t sleep so decided to sit up. He glanced out around the camp that was now lit by the dim morning light, trails of sunlight peeking through the canopy here and there. Everyone was still asleep aside from a few lingering souls.

The boy looked at the lock on the door and tugged at the padlock, small hands being able to fit through the gridded metal door. The dogs hadn’t even begun to stir from their sleep and the candles around the camp were still flickering, although only barely. One tug, two, nothing. He pushed on the door with as much strength as he could to test the strength of its hinges. With a slight creak of the metal hinges it didn’t budge at all. He was stuck. 

The boy sat back against the damp, muddy towel he had acquired as a makeshift blanket and suddenly his stomach rumbled, reminding him that he’d not eaten a thing since he burnt his tongue on his hot milk. That part of his tongue still tingled occasionally and served bitterly as the only remaining memory of his mother’s warmth. Warmth that he wouldn’t be returning to. 

He was finally on the other side of the river, finding out for himself what was in the jungles and he was no better than how he had been living in Shiganshina. No freer than captive dogs.

It must have only been an hour of taking in his surroundings in the dim light until the remaining majority of rebels began to stir. Eren quietly observed their operations, noting that every single one covered their identity with a bandana or a mask. He didn’t spot anyone he recognised, not even the tall one or the bandaged man he’d bitten. The men would emerge from their tents fully clothed and armed, and return the exact same way. When they were out and about in the camp, they seemed to go back and forth with carts stacked with crates and barrels. Eren didn’t understand what he was seeing entirely and he must have observed for days. It was exactly the same routine. No faces ever seen, always armed, back and forth. 

Where were they going to and from? 

Eren couldn’t focus on questions such as this, as he was quickly losing strength. It was only until a man returned to the dog kennel with two large bowls did Eren finally perk up. He had started lying on the left hand side of the kennel, away from the door, and it was too short to stand so he chose either to lay down or sit whilst watching the men outside. 

As soon as the man approached, the dogs scurried over to the door in anticipation of a meal and water, but the hounds were pushed aside by a starving, dirty young boy with matted, messy hair and a desperate look in his eyes. Fighting the dogs for dry, horribly bitter biscuits was the only comfort Eren took in the moment. He didn’t care about the cleanliness or where the food had come from. It was food and it was water. Two things he was in desperate need of. 

Once he had forcibly taken his (somewhat measly) fill from the dog bowls, Eren laid back down in his corner to attempt to sleep. He was finding that sleeping at night was no use, since the barrage of frightening noises would keep him awake. The daytime noises were just men talking and the occasional clanging noises. The rebels worked a remarkably quiet operation in the jungle, operating primarily using radio systems and hushed tones. Perhaps that’s why the military hadn’t had much luck finding them. Another question that Eren didn’t have the energy to try to answer.

He must have spent a solid two weeks in the kennel, only being fed a total of four times, and the boy was starting to look a bit scrawny. He yearned to simply walk around, stretch his legs, and bathe. Cooped up in the kennels with only the dogs and his thoughts to keep him company, neither of which did him any good for his sanity. He had barely slept and night was approaching for the sixteenth time. He had slowly gotten used to the routine of the camp, but the sounds he heard next were not on his usual like-clockwork agenda. Close by crunching leaves. Footsteps. 

A man approached with a bowl of food and began gently tapping the barrel of his rifle against the metal walls of the kennel. The dogs began to bark and Eren started to stir from his hungry, fitful sleep. The tapping wasn't particularly loud, but the way it made the side of the kennel vibrate close to Eren's face was enough to startle him.

"The boss tells me we got a feisty new pet with pretty green eyes..." the man purrs through the bars. Just the tone of his voice alone is enough to send shivers down Eren's spine. The boy instinctually understands as soon as he spots the other that this man means him trouble. He understands that nothing good can possibly come from this exchange of interactions.

"Come now, don't be shy my boy," he coos, only sending the brunet scooting back into the kennel as far as he can go, the dogs paying him little mind as the man has food that they can undoubtedly smell. The dogs are probably hungrier than the boy judging by the way their ribs protrude from the skin on their chests, their hip bones sticking out into clear view, displaying their malnourishment and neglect. 

Eren eyes the man cautiously. He has a balaclava covering his face and he's dressed absolutely no differently to any other rebel, combats, cargos and camouflage jacket. A gun, too. The man has a soft glaze shining over his eyes and Eren catches a slight waft of something strong on the man as soon as he's close enough for long enough for the smell to travel. The boy's nose twitches and he remains in his corner waiting for the 

"Come now, you look hungry..." the man tried bargaining in a softer, calmer tone. Eren narrowed his eyes ever so slightly and cautiously sat forward onto his knees. 

"That's it, come over. I have some food for you." 

Eren's eyes left the man's momentarily to check for the truth in his words, only to have them confirmed when the man slid the bowl forward into his view. Eren scooted forward a little, but remained cautious. The smell coming from the man was off-putting and he didn't seem to have all of his motor skills. The man seemed to sway slightly and was unable to sit still for longer than a few seconds at a time. 

"There we go, see?" Eren scooted a little closer and the smell was only worse. Every inch of his being was telling him, screaming at him to get away from this feeling. It wasn't the man he was sensing, it was whatever he had done to himself, taken, drank. This man was not a man right now. To Eren he felt more like a monster, but this monster had his sole interest. Food. Water. 

His throat was dry just thinking about getting his hands on a bottle of water. He was exhausted beyond words and the hunger had passed the painful stage, leaving him with a daily, empty throb in his body, down to the bones. 

As soon as he was within the light, the man leaned closer to the kennel door and Eren waited cautiously, his whole body tense as the creature before him with glazed eyes with dark circles beneath them unlocked the kennel and swung the door open. The boy's eyes flickered back to the food, not daring to get any closer and attempting to get it for himself. 

"Come on over, you can eat from here."

Eren hesitated. 

"C'mon, brat, I don't have all night!" The man snapped at him, making the boy flinch as he grabbed Eren's collar and dragged him out from the kennels, dropping him on top of the small steps that led up to the porch the small structure was settled on. The dogs instantly followed suit, greedily tucking their snouts into the lone bowl of biscuits the man had provided. Eren whimpered as he tried to pull himself up, rubbing at his cheek where his face had made impact with the corner of a step. 

"Now look what you made me do!" The man scolded Eren with a slap around the side of his head as he shooed the dogs away from the bowl. The speed in which the hungry hounds had devoured however was beyond human, there now being barely ten pebbles left. Eren groaned as he sat his weak body up to the sound of the kennel being locked back up, only to feel a strong hand on the back of his shift, pulling him to his feet. 

He couldn't help the tears that fell once he had stood. Only having room to sit for almost three weeks had taken its toll and Eren's entire body was complaining. It hurt. 

"Hey there, don't cry. Let's get you cleaned up and fed..." 

Eren couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling this man emitted, so he gave him a tentative look. 

"What do you want?" He carefully asked. The man simply pursed his lips and waved a hand freely.

"Is it so bad that I see a scruffy, smelly kid sleeping with the dogs and something within just tells me it's wrong?" 

The squalid smell he'd been living in had stopped bothering him a few days ago so he would be able to forsake a bath, but his stomach kept complaining and no amount of pride would stop it. Sustenance was too much of a winning hand being played against him. He would shelf his anger and his pride for the time being and take what he could get. Weaklings couldn't fight. He had to build his strength and he was being presented an opportunity to do that. He nodded slowly and the man stood, taking his arm and walking him toward an unknown part of the camp.

It was eerie, walking around at night with only the peculiar citrus candles lighting the camp. There were tarpaulins draped over the top of tents, which from what he could gather when he was led into one, were full of simple bunks. One blanket and one pillow to each, no personal belongings. 

It was unsettling how impersonal the entire tent felt, but he couldn't deny it felt more homely than a dog kennel. After all, it had beds. He was led through the empty tent and into an open, sheltered yard. By now Eren could smell something. Something good. His thoughts of how amazing the food smelt were torn away from him by the man gripping his arm, pulling him past what must have been where people cooked and into another tent full of empty bunks. 

"Where is everyone?" He asked cautiously. The man only grunted. 

Something felt wrong. Something felt very wrong. This wasn't getting clean. This wasn't food. He had put his guard down and Eren would kick himself later for it, but everything goes from feeling unsettling at best to terrified. The man moves closer in an attempt to grab the boy by his shoulders and Eren's face pales as he has only enough time to blink and duck under the man's arms, avoiding his sloppy gait. 

"Now, now don't be shy little pup, I'm not going to hurt you" 

"Like hell you are!" The boy snapped back angrily, mustering whatever energy he could into fighting back. Whatever this man wanted him alone for, Eren refused to trust even with a ten-foot barge pole. 

"You little shit, get back here!" The man called as he attempted to approach the boy again, this time a hand slinking to his belt, unclasping it with uncoordinated thumbs and slow fingers. Eren made a beeline for the tent doorway and ran head-first into something solid and warm. He stumbled back, wincing at the impact in his tailbone as the tall, dark figure loomed over him. He did not recognise the man until he spoke. It was the tall one. 

"The fuck are you doing out?" He snapped, leaning over to pick the boy up in his shirt by the scruff of his neck. His own weight forced the shirt to dig in at the armpits but he didn't try to get free this time. This man felt like himself, not like the monster behind him. 

"The little shit was trying to escape!" The monstrously creepy one barked, clearly to his superior. The tall man simply raised a finger, staring at Eren in the dim lighting with a look of almost sympathy being portrayed in the only visible section of his face. 

"Is that so?" He asked. 

Silence from the boy. 

"Well?" The tall man asked, impatience trickling into his tone of voice. 

"N-no!" 

"No what?" The man asked, tossing the weak child to the floor. "Didn't your parents teach you any manners? When a man with a gun asks you a question, what should you say?" He taunts, hitting a nerve in the boy, who scowls up at him, the expression lost however to the dim light. 

"I say fuck you" he spat, only to be rewarded with a kick to the jaw, sending him reeling back a good two feet, landing hard against the drier covered dirt ground. 

"I suppose not." The tall man clicked his tongue in annoyance and bent down to take a tight, painful handful of dirty brown hair. Eren's arms flung up weakly to try to alleviate the pain on his scalp, but he was too weak to pry the man off as he was dragged back to the kennel by the hair and thrown back in, crashing into the back wall. He would remain lying there for the rest of the night, quietly sobbing as another night of restlessness and tortured half-dreams passed. 

The days continued along these lines, although the man who had led him out that night did not return, which suited Eren perfectly well. He had observed that these rebels would often smell of something strong that was smoked and that scent quickly became associated with pain or verbal abuse. These men were not themselves when they smelt that way. He did not see the tall man again after that night, but the whole ordeal had left a stale taste in his mouth and an empty stomach. After then, any moment he was approached with food, or approached out of the blue, was a moment to be on guard. 

He started taking to lingering next to the grid metal door of the kennel most of the time. This way he could enjoy what little fresh air the Ragakan dry season would allow. The nights were uncomfortable, but on hot days in particular, they were worse. He was caged between metal walls, which radiated heat more than a fabric tent wall. The kennels would not truly cool until morning. 

It was only twenty-seven days since arriving, did the tall man re-appear before the kennels. This time he was wearing only a bandana around his nose rather than his head as well, revealing his hair to be a peppered blonde and silver. For the first time since meeting this man Eren noticed his slight crows feet around his tired eyes.

“Did you have fun while I was away?” he teased Eren, who was sat on his knees, glaring up at the man with his fresh split lip and black eye from one of the smelly men from the day before, his entire boy shaking with dehydration and physical trauma. His youthful frame was still growing and his bones were still supple, so thankfully nothing had broken in the time he'd been staying with the rebels. 

“Go away.” He grumbled back, quietly retreating into the darkness of the kennel.

“Now now, don’t be like that. You don't want to stay in the kennel forever, right?” He says, which instantly grabs Eren’s attention, albeit guarded and untrusting attention, given the last time he was offered freedom from the cage. His eyes flicker to the man behind the tall one, who’s pointing his gun in the boy's direction. It makes him nervous, but not more than his burning desire to see sunlight again and to stretch his legs and maybe slaughter some Titans. He'll wait on the latter for now.

“Fine." He mutters through defeated, gritted teeth. He’ll do anything so long as he can get out enough to build his strength. Be strong enough to take on the titans or at least take on the forest in an attempt to get away. Eren looked up at the man with the doughiest eyes he could pull; despite the fact they must have had a glimmer of gold sheen across them with the sunlight. The boy was determined to get back to his family, even if it was just his father. He’d still join the military, but first he needed to learn about the Titans. As if placed in his lap by the heavens themselves, he had been handed an opportunity to potentially take them down from the inside. 

Reality however, was not far from Eren’s thoughts. He was depressingly aware that he was only an eight-almost-nine year old boy with zero training in anything other than collecting honey, to which he’d only half paid attention to when being taught. He was currently useless as it stood. Either way, he needed to make a start, which was only accelerated by the tall man’s next words. 

“We’ve got some work for you. Do you want to make yourself useful?” 

Eren nodded and they let him out. They didn’t bind his wrists again and his entire body celebrated at the chance to stand. He straightened his back with an uncomfortable click and stretched his arms. Another bandana-clad man approached tugging a cart full of rucksacks. He picked out the smallest one and threw it at Eren, who struggled to catch it. 

"Damn, smells like a fucking bog in there" the tall man commented to a colleague, who leant over to look inside the kennel. Two of the three dogs had perished what looked like a good week ago, and with the recent weather they were quick to decay. Not to mention almost one month's worth of animal excrement. He wasn't sure which was from the dogs and which belonged to the boy but he didn't care to give it much further thought, instead calling another man over. 

That was the last of the conversation Eren could hear or see, since he was led by the man with the rucksacks to a small tent. As soon as they entered, the smell of food hit their nostrils and Eren's stomach growled loudly. He could tell the man was grinning under the bandana as his eyes lit up a little in amusement. 

"Hungry, huh?" 

The boy nodded furiously. 

"Take a seat, drink some water." He handed Eren a large bottle of water, to which he instantly unscrewed the cap and began drinking as if he'd been dehydrated to near death in a metal box for weeks. The man disappeared behind him and Eren turned his head in suspicion to inspect where he had gone. He returned to slowly sipping his water and his body rejoiced at the sight of two plates being brought toward the small table he was sat at. Before him was placed a slice of toast with two sausages and beans. 

The masked man sat down with his breakfast and own bottle of water and smiled in amusement to himself as he adjusted his bandana so he could eat. He'd never seen a meal devoured so quickly before in his life, and here was Eren setting record times. 

"Slow the fuck down, you'll choke yourself" he scolded Eren, who paid him zero attention as he ate as if it would be the last meal he ever had. 

He rolled his eyes and once they were done, Eren looked at him nervously. "Get your backpack and put your water in it. We're going to be out all day today and I don't want you fucking passing out on me. I won't be carrying your sorry ass back if you do" 

Eren simply nodded and did as he was instructed. The man collected his rifle and slung his backpack over his shoulders. Eren followed at his heels as they left the tent and passed the tall one again. 

"Remember what I said about running away?" he asked. It was more of a threat than an innocent question, that much Eren knew. The boy nodded and continued following the man he'd been paired with. They made their way out of the camp and down a well-trodden but hidden path exiting from the rear of the camp towards the jungle. He had barely had a moment to see the jungle since he had arrived and now that he was walking through it, he was blown away. 

The first thing he noticed was the noises. The birds, insects, monkeys and... whatever that chirping noise was. It all sounded exciting and foreign and rich with life. What he noticed second was that the trees, bushes and various other plants all contained what could easily have been every shade of green known to mankind and more. There were occasional flowers spotted about and the colours accompanied the greens wonderfully. The boy stood still for a moment just to take everything in, but his awe was interrupted by a low voice. 

"Don't stand still. The leeches will have you." 

That got him moving again, eyes instantly to the ground where there was an entirely different set of creepy crawlies and plant life. Nothing here was dead, even fallen trees and decaying leaves were home to wildlife. Every single square inch was brimming with something moving, breathing or living, be it moss, an ant, a brightly coloured- 

A fast whoosh passed Eren's face, leaving him breathless as a massive flock of large bright red and blue birds flew past. He recognised them as parrots, but didn't remember their name. They would occasionally find them flying around in Shiganshina, but not in these abundant quantities. 

They must have walked for a solid hour before the man ahead of him called to stop, Eren's face scrunching up in slight confusion. There was nothing unusual looking about this part of the rainforest, all the plants looked the same aside from one very noticeable one. It was a tall grass, perhaps a metre in height, and was dotted around sparsely. Given the nearby area though, they appeared more abundant than they were if you were prepared to walk a little ways between plants. 

"What are we doing?" 

The man pulled out his machete and waded through the thick brush to get to one of these tall thin grassy plants, taking a hold of the blades and cutting at the base near the ground. he brought the tuft of grass over to Eren who looked at it, confused. He understood as soon as the man brought the grass over and forced him to sniff it. It was distinctly citrusy and strangely comforting, like the candles around the camp. 

"Like this" the man explained weakly as he pulled away at the leafier grass to reveal a tighter bound core at the bottom. "This is the part we want. Take the top off and put the rest in the bags." Eren nodded and gave it a few attempts as the man watched. Once he was satisfied with the young brunet's attempts, he left to cut more. It was hot, humid and Eren was getting thirsty and tired very quickly. His hands quickly collected cuts from the sharp grass and the bags were only half full by the time Eren had had enough and received his first slap around the side of the head, making his ears ring and his vision spot. After that he kept silent, preferring the exhaustion and the readily available bottle of water over the physical pain as he resumed working. 

"Is this what they burn at camp?" Eren eventually asked the man as they worked silently into the heat of the early afternoon. 

"Yes. We make it into oil for the candles. It keeps the Mosquitos away. It only grows in this part of the forest, so we are lucky to have it. It works better than any chemical."

Satisfied with the response, Eren forced himself back to work, albeit slowly and silently for another hour before the bags were full. He only then realised that he would be carrying his efforts back for an hour hike across uneven terrain during the hottest part of the day. His hands and feet would be well blistered by morning. 

Arriving back to the camp, Eren was led to a small tarpaulin draped over some raised shelving containing nothing but the grass he'd been stripping all day. His hands were sore and blistered and he unpacked both rucksacks and re-stocked the shelves. Once he'd finished, the man took hold of his arm and guided him to another makeshift tarp-tent. This one was large and felt exposed to the jungle since it had no walls. 

"Come" he ordered Eren. He obeyed silently, feeling too worn out to complain. The man led him over to a small chest and opened it, unscrewing the lid from a small bottle of light blue liquid. Eren spotted some symbols on the bottle but didn't understand it. It was in another language. "Hold your hands out" the man instructed, and Eren complied quietly. The man held Eren's wrists together as he proceeded to slosh the liquid over both of his hands, effectively sterilising them. 

Eren yelped in pain as it stung his cuts and the man instructed him to take his now worn and wet shoes off to repeat the process. He vaguely heard the man muttering to himself and sighing as he peeled his dirty socks off and once again dowsed the tender skin with the disinfectant. 

Eren frowned and looked around at the hammocks strung between the trees under the large tarpaulin, frowning as he realised he would have to put his wet shoes back on and return to the kennel. As if reading his mind, the man told him "You will be staying here now." 

"What?" 

"You heard me. You sleep here now. You get water at the front of the tent and food from where we got breakfast. They will be done with making dinner in about an hour. Don't get out of your hammock at night, unless you want to stand on a scorpion, spider or snake and get bitten. Then you are as good as dead." 

If the man was purposely trying to scare Eren into not running away at night, he had succeeded. Eren was both relieved to be able to sleep off the ground, away from the dogs and to not sleep in urine soaked towels next to rotting bodies, but at the same time it felt possibly even more dangerous with the possibility of being so exposed to jungle creatures. 

The man must have noticed Eren's face pale as he laughed slightly and pointed to another tent, tossing him a towel from one of the small shelves. 

"You reek, go shower and I will get you new clothes. See you at dinner." With that final statement, he left. 

Eren made his way carefully across the open area, avoiding any rebels where he could. The ones he did walk past watched him with blank looks in their eyes, seeming completely indifferent to his presence. Once showered and a hammock was chosen for himself, he headed over for dinner, ate his first proper meal in almost a month, and returned to have his first night of sleep since he'd arrived to the jungle. 

It wasn't particularly restful sleep, but his body was so exhausted it simply shut down for him the moment he was comfortable in the hammock. He awoke the following morning with slightly less heavy eyes than the day before, with sore hands, feet and aching muscles. The man from yesterday was stood at the entrance to his makeshift tent holding a pair of rucksacks.

"Get up brat, we're leaving soon" 

"Where are we going?" he mumbled slightly, still half asleep and wishing he could curl into the folds of his hammock and stay asleep for another week at least. 

"To get more grass."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Tumblr](http://agent-2-6.tumblr.com).


	3. Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An alliance is made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really enjoying writing this fic and all the wonderful feedback/general reception really made my week (and after only two chapters no less!). 
> 
> You give, so I give back. Have 7,000 words this week.
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy!

Chapter 3 - "Girl"

Eren would spend the next couple of months of life in a semi-exhausted state of being, too tired to fight with a blistered body that would automatically shut off each night into a coma-like sleep. Fortunately however with his new job came a routine which included food, water and a night of rest each night with rare disturbances. It does take him a few weeks to adjust to he manual labour and more than once he cries himself to sleep, only for them to run dry one day. He forgets when it happened, but somewhere along the line he had stopped thinking of home quite so much. The work tended to keep his mind occupied. 

Once Eren was accustomed to the collection of citrus grass, he was taught how to manufacture citrus oil using the grass hearts, or 'cores'. He would then use the oil with wax set into miscellaneous jars and pots and distributed about the tents on a bi-daily basis to keep a steady burn going to keep the insects away.

After another week of collecting sharp citrus grass had passed and Eren's sore body awoke one morning to the sounds of hustle, bustle, banging, footsteps and hushed voices. He pulled himself onto his side and slipped out from his hammock to find the camp alive with quiet activity. Everyone was quiet aside from the noises made from packing up their tents and loading carts to head down towards the river to the boats. People were making trips to and from and Eren seemed a little out of sorts when he realised his usual schedule of waking up early to collect grass was going to be disrupted today. 

A man passed Eren by and abruptly brought himself to a stop and returned to the boy, ordering him to start gathering all of the collected grass bundles which were tied together and to start making trips to the boats. They didn't have time to waste and Eren could hear the serious tone of his voice when he spoke, so got straight to work for fear of possibly being beaten if he didn't comply. 

Eren headed over to his hammock and slipped his size-too-big boots on and got dressed, running over to the storage tent to start taking bunches to the riverbed. One, two, three bunches back and forth, each trip taking him about ten minutes to cover the distance between the camp and the water taking the terrain into account. It was uneven and mainly downhill towards the river, but without the heavy load in his arms Eren found it easy enough to trek back up the hill once he'd dropped his grass off at the boats. They had about fourteen boats gathered in the nearby waterway, each one heading off as soon as it was full. They were sending the supplies from the camp upstream, to Eren couldn't say where. 

The boats were dwindling in numbers each time he returned to the water and before he knew it he was lugging his final bunch down the slopes towards the water, handing it over to a man who stacked it with the rest, finishing off another full boat. The men going back and forth were now completely packed up, leaving barely any trace that they had ever stayed there aside from the sheltered dry soil and the trodden footpaths between where the tents used to be pitched. 

Eren spotted a man loosely tossing seed down where they had been camped, as if to cover their tracks. The next time it rained he was sure those seeds would sprout in no time, leaving next to no trace that they had ever been there are all. 

His arm was tugged away and he found himself being hauled into a boat. He stumbled to get in, lodging himself between a barrel and a large duffel bag. Just as the boat pulled out, the boy heard far distant gunshots. Is this how the titans lived? They would operate for as long as they could until what could only have been the military came close? It reminded Eren of his original goals to join the Scouting Regiment and he tucked his arms around his knees as he tried to stay out of the way of the other men on the boat, quietly taking in his new surroundings since they didn't bag his head this time.

The river stayed at about the same width for a solid three and a half hours until they eventually reached a point where it split into three. The man driving the boat opted for the course on the far right hand side, which seemed to follow course upward along the side of a large mountain blanketed by huge trees and boasting half-hidden steep cliffs that poked up from the canopy here and there. 

It wasn't long however until the staggering view of the mountainous landscape became obscured from view and the thick canopy shadowed everything below, including the river.

The further they went upstream, the slower they had to drive, the man at the front having to cut vines and low trees so that they could pass. There was occasional evidence of slow floating cut branches nudging against the banks, presumably from the boats ahead of them. Two other boats containing what must have been the last dribs and drabs of the remaining soldiers from the camp had since caught up, following closely behind. Eren would pass the time lazily looking over the edge of the narrow boat into the water, seeing flashes of colours from where the slivers of sunlight breaking through the canopy caught and reflected against the sides of small schools of tropical cardinal tetra. Red and blue flickered in the dark of the murky water and Eren's eyes drifted upwards towards the riverbank at a hissing noise. 

Tree roots made up the majority of the bank and the boy kept his eyes peeled, observing every foreign inch of detail the jungle offered and just as greedily absorbing every sound. He would occasionally catch glimpses of alligators or snakes within the tree roots retreating into the thick brush once the boat hummed close, scaring them away. He would pay close attention to any conversations the Titans had between themselves, but they offered nothing of interest and spent a lot of their time in silence. 

Eren and his captors did not hear any further gunshots after the first, hours ago, not even in the far distance, so it seemed obvious that they had retreated far enough away from harm's way. Or in Eren's case, possible salvation. Frustrated and bored, he finally spoke up once there were no new sights or sounds to behold. 

"When will we get there?" he asked. By now he understood that any questions they didn't want to answer would simply be ignored, so he didn't bother asking where they were going or why. His aching muscles simply wanted to know when they would be able to stretch. The man in the balaclava at the head of the boat didn't turn to look at the boy, but responded to his question regardless. 

"We are half way" 

Eren sighed at the curt answer, folding his arms on top of the edge of the boat and resting his chin atop them, glancing out lazily over the edge again. Another three hours of this. He imagined he may surely die of boredom if the boat didn't speed up at all through these three hours, but judging by where they were heading and how much open space was lacking on their route, he doubted he would be granted with any form of cool breeze for some time. He would just have to drink plenty of water as they slowly rumbled through the thick, hot forest. 

For all the jungle's wonders, once you'd grown used to them it started to become nothing special. There were only so many times you could be amazed at certain trees or animals. The sights simply became more and more common with the occasional surprising exception of an unknown plant or creature. Other than that, everything sort of merged into one big mess of wildlife which Eren was briskly growing used to, dare he admit it. He was getting accustomed to living in the rainforest, which he wasn't sure if it was a good thing since it meant he was only travelling farther from home. 

However he would be more adept at surviving in it by himself when the time arrived, if needed. 

Seven hours later and Eren had fallen asleep under the canopy of the small boat during the heat of the afternoon. He was awoken to men yelling and greeting one another and he pushed himself up and stood to get a better view. The boats from earlier which had departed before them had all arrived and had already been efficiently unpacked, leaving only five of the original fourteen to be unloaded. The narrow boats were all lined up against the tree roots in a thick, dark section of the riverbank and had all been tied in place with engines pulled from the water to rest. 

It must have only been two in the afternoon at the latest, but Eren couldn't see the location of the sun anywhere. He was helped through the complex of branches and thick tree roots and onto solid ground, fortunately without slipping into the dark water beneath. One of the rebels pushed at his shoulder with their rifle and he followed the muddy trail uphill alongside the other men who were carrying bags and other supplies from the recently arrived vessels. 

The terrain here was awful, Eren thought to himself. He had thought the terrain before was bad with it's occasional slopes and hills and small rivers interrupting every turn on the paths. This was something else entirely. Rather than a small crack in the earth which was possible to jump, their paths were cut off by sheer cliffs, deep cavernous holes and thick undergrowth. It had definitely never been trodden on by human feet, at least not for a very long time. 

The trail he was following looked as though it had been created only today by the men ahead of him, and the pace they were currently at was painfully slow, the entire train having to pause every so often to wait for the men ahead to clear more of a path. Eren spotted a man ahead with a compass, so he was somewhat reassured to know they had a location in mind. He prayed to whatever Gods were out there that the camp not be as rough as this was. 

As they slowly trudged uphill in the suffocatingly hot, moist air, Eren felt himself starting to feel somewhat lightheaded. He took a sip from his water bottle to see if it would help, but it didn't for long. He kept on, though, hoping that a rest would lie at the end of this trek. 

Taking a break from their travels roughly two hours in, the men gathered around a small waterfall and refilled their water bottles, popping chlorine tablets into each one to kill anything they didn't want in their bodies that wasn't water. Eren sat quietly, memorising his surroundings. The tree types were much the same as they were further downhill and the noises of the animals, birds and insects were also similar. He would also occasionally catch glimpses of the citrusy grass growing in much more abundance in-between the other plants. He wondered if when they arrived to their destination he would be working on that same task again. He had grown quite familiar with certain aspects of the forest and needed to learn more if he wanted to plot an escape. 

With burning leg muscles, tired backs and rumbling stomachs, all of the men eventually found their way close to the small peak of this part of the mountain which opened up into a small grassy clearing. A pair of men gestured for Eren to come closer as the rest of the party rested on the warm rocks in the shade and he hesitated, but obeyed. He had been sat around doing nothing for twenty minutes so felt reasonably well rested considering the day of travelling. The men were laughing quietly between themselves as Eren approached and they gestured to a hole in the ground to which the boy looked up at them, confusion blatant on his face.

"Take this" one said as he thrust a knife into Eren's hands. The boy flinched but looked up at the man, dumbfounded. He could stab the man there and then if he so pleased. 

"Why?" He cautiously asked as the man gave his shoulders a little push. 

"Lunch" he said. Albeit somewhat cryptic, doing nothing to soothe the boy's nerves of what lie below the ground. It looked big enough to fit a full grown man, so why him?

"Is it dangerous?" Eren would refuse to be seen as weak, his stubborn nature rearing it's proud head. 

"Only if it's faster than you. Be quicker and you will be okay. They are not poisonous." 

That helped to calm his nerves so the boy frowned and reluctantly dipped down onto his haunches and peered into the darkness of the den beneath the large tree root. What lived down there? Eren steeled himself and ducked down, not before one of the men interrupted his concentration and handed him a flashlight. Pointing it into the hole Eren spotted a shimmering green pattern moving in the rotting leaves. 

"Right in between the eyes" one of the men instructed. Eren worried his lip slightly as he concentrated on inching closer on his hands and knees, trying to sneak up on the creature which seemed to get larger the closer he got. Eventually it stirred enough once Eren had crawled halfway into the hole, grip firm on the knife as he held it steadily before himself in self defence. The incredibly large snake's head moved into view a moment later and spotted Eren. The creature exchanged eye contact momentarily with the boy before one attacked. 

A few moments later, the men above ground were all laughing and one patted Eren on the back as he was pressed up against a tree a good few feet away from the hole he'd just been in. 

"Ha, that's it! The kid's got spunk!" he said as he patted a firm hand against the boy's shoulder, making him flinch. 

"Yeah, look at the size of this thing, it must be three metres! Didn't even stand a chance against a runt like this!" another said, hauling a large anaconda body out from the den. Eren scrunched his face up and snapped back at the man "I'm not a runt!" 

The man simply laughed in response and strutted over to the boy. "So how old are you then?" 

"I'm ten years and eleven months! So I'm basically eleven already!" 

"Ahah, so we got an up and coming birthday boy! Well for your gift you can help me prep your first kill." 

Eren shot the man an acidic glare which went unnoticed as he hauled the large snake over his shoulder with the help from a colleague. He was clearly completely oblivious to the events that had happened prior to the boy's capture. Specifically the part where he'd killed two grown men, impaling them with a clothes rail in a fit of rage. Eren tightened the grip on the knife he was still holding and followed the man over to the small stream they had been following up the mountainside. 

The man taught Eren how to skin, bone and prepare snake flesh and Eren tried his best to copy. The man got up to retrieve some large leaves from a nearby tree which by now Eren recognised as a banana tree, although the fruit was not ripe which was a shame. He felt like he could really use something sweet right about now. The man spoke as he returned. 

"These are green anaconda. We keep the meat and bury the rest. We leave no trace wherever we go. It is most respectful to the forest. Unlike the islanders who have no respect." 

Eren tilted his head slightly as he listened to the man speak whilst they prepared the large snake. The man did most of the work and the youth only managed about one third, not to the same skill or quality but passible. They tidied their area with a splash or two of water to wash away the blood and Eren helped wrap the snake meat in the banana leaves, tying them off with long strips of some sort of grassy vine they'd found nearby and carrying it over to the other men who had seemingly also gone hunting.

"How did you get on?" 

The men held up four dead agouti by their rear legs.

"Good, this will be more than enough. We can always trap fish if needed, we'll be following the stream for at least three days."

The food they had caught lasted them for another four days of hiking. They scaled the side of the mountain, passing the top ridges and descending into the valleys on the opposite side of the mountain range. Just before they had began their descent, Eren glanced over his shoulder to see if he could spot the estuary at all, or any signs of a life he'd once lived. He saw nothing but trees. That life would be long gone from there on out. There would be no returning from here. Not alone. It was clear that these people lived so abundantly in the forests because they knew and respected it so well. They didn't take it for granted, which is where the 'Islanders' as the rebels called them seemed to. 

At the end of their journey, Eren was absolutely exhausted. He had been given a celebratory pat on the back and an anaconda to skin for his birthday which was a few days into their trek. Along th way he was taught how to weave a fish trap and set agouti spring traps out of forest materials. 

He spent a moment to admire the way the clouds would float across the valleys in between some of the tallest trees every morning. Certain sights and sounds he would likely never tire of. 

Once they reached the bottom of the valley floor and lined themselves back up with another portion of river, the terrain only got worse. They finally arrived to a long strip of thick rainforest which upon entering was littered with tarps, tents, huts, actual buildings and even what looked like piped water into shower stalls. This was obviously a longer standing hideout, possibly the size of a small village, able to house hundreds. 

"Is this where everyone stays?" Eren asked one of the men after they had all taken their masks off to greet those already camping here. It was the first time in months he had seen any real facial features. They tended to protect their identities so strictly on the other side of the mountain and Eren often wondered whether they got hot and bothered by it. 

By the time they arrived and assigned Eren somewhere to sleep, the evening's rain had started. The showers were fewer during the dry season but even then they were daily occurrences. Rain forests don't grow at the rate they do in Ragako without daily watering. With the heat the plans would certainly need it. (The key to the _rain_ forest's vitality was hidden within the name.)

The dry season came to and end and the wet season took it's place on the rear side of the mountain. This happened twice and during this time Eren would be given jobs on a daily basis. He would initially assist with camp life, cleaning, doing laundry, preparing food. Eventually they would send him out to collect more citrus grass to prepare into candles or oil lamps to keep the insects away while they slept. Eren would then be allowed out of camp with an escort to assist with hunting and gathering once he was deemed old enough at thirteen. 

His abilities with a weapon were not his strongest side, nor was he particularly athletic or good at climbing trees. What he did retain however was an impressive bank of knowledge. Anything he was taught he would retain as if secretly saving everything up for a rainy day. He was reasonably and moderately skilled at everything, but a master of nothing. On the rebel's side of the mountain he was quick to learn about how to live from the land, but he also became aware of how they ran their operations. 

They had fields further down the mountain full of fields and fields of what was called the 'coca' plant. Some of the men would chew the leaves to help with the altitude sickness and Eren had been offered some once. He had accepted seeing no harm since the grown men had done it right in front of him, and had ended up feeling less nauseous and lightheaded but peculiarly drowsy and dulled. He found chewing the leaves hindered his senses and washed a state of numbness across his whole body leaving it tingling in strange ways. 

Unless he wanted to step on a scorpion or a snake whilst in this unaware state, he opted not to chew any more leaves that made him feel weird and less alert. Eren learnt that these leaves were the primary ingredient to cocaine which was produced just south over the ridge of the valley in laboratories he was forbidden from going near. He would scoff and roll his eyes at the thought of visiting one of their labs, since it was a good two day hike to get there by foot. The buildings were surrounded by the thickest parts of the forest under the tallest trees, making them exceptionally difficult to find. Eren had only once stumbled across one but even so that was by accident on one of his 'should be hunting but went exploring instead' trips out by himself.

There were narrow dirt roads interlinking certain parts of the large encampment and occasionally Eren would be allowed to ride in the back of one of the jeeps, a highlight of his week whenever it happened. 

During his stay with the rebels he barely spoke and in return not a single soul asked for his name, nor did he ask for any. Nor were names offered. He simply gave them nicknames in which he would refer to them mentally whenever he spoke in brief conversations with himself or objects. The tall one who loomed over six foot five he nicknamed as the 'Colossal' one, using the Ragakan word for 'massive'. There was the one who was tasked with keeping an eye on him, who Eren never once in two years saw out of his flak vest. He used the Ragakan word 'Armoured', meaning 'protective clothing'. Naming the men who rarely spoke gave him some sense of connection to another human, even if they didn't speak often aside from orders. 

Until that is, the day when he would no longer be short for conversation, or so he thought. Upon returning to his usually empty tarp roof tent, he discovered a small, shaking body in the corner on a bed. It was a girl who must not have been older than fifteen or sixteen. She was wearing a dirty floral dress made from a material Eren had never seen before. He was intrigued by the way the fabric shone in the sunlight. The girl's face was primarily hidden by her long hair, but Eren could instantly tell she was not of Ragakan birth. 

This girl was from the countries even further east than where his father was from. Somewhat more oriental lands, as they were known. Upon noticing him with her finely tuned senses, she instantly stiffened and looked up at the boy through dirty jet black hair with eyes sharper than tempered steel. If looks could kill Eren would be currently entering his next incarnation right about now. 

Eren however was used to harsh treatment by now, still occasionally receiving beatings. His fresh bruise on the left side of his face helped to calm the girl's nerves further, making her question if he had suffered a similar fate to herself. 

"Hi, I'm Eren"

The girl's glare softened at seeing Eren, most probably because he looked about her age, probably a little younger. In the passing year he had grown in height a lot and his shoulders had broadened ever so slightly. She didn't trust him though, that much was painfully obvious to the boy. 

"What's your name?" He asked without hesitation, but not moving closer. Instead he moved over to his bunk and sat down, looking across at the girl. 

"You don't want to sit on the floor for too long. There are ants" 

She looked at him with the same caution, like a lamb would watch a wolf. 

"Do you understand me?" He asked after a long pause from both parties. "Ants." He pointed to the girl, then the ground, followed by a snapping motion with his hand toward his crossed legs. "They bite. It hurts" 

The girl followed his hand gestures closely before looking down at where she was curled up. With a slight shriek and a jump, she startled and leapt straight into one of the raised beds. Eren let out a soft chuckle as he watched her. She looked up at him with wide eyes and he pointed at himself. 

"Eren" 

"Eh... Len." She repeated once, then a second time as if to see if she got it right. "Eh-ren"

The pronunciation of Ragakan R's was new to the girl, so it sounded more like a throaty L. Either way, Eren beamed a huge big smile and nodded, pointing to her, as if to indicate her turn. She slowly pointed at herself and spoke with a much calmer tone of voice, sensing Eren to be of no danger to her. 

"Mikasa" 

"That's a pretty name" Eren mused aloud with a smile. She clearly didn't understand a word he said, but she smiled nervously anyway. Eren looked at her and leapt from his bunk, disappearing for a short moment before returning. In his hands he slowly approached the girl holding a pretty red flower. 

"Here, for you" he held out the peace offering and she took it without hesitation. 

Eren was struck with a sudden idea and the surprised jolt startled Mikasa somewhat until she understood. Eren had remembered he spoke two languages. Switching tact, he tried again, this time in another language.

"Do you speak Karanese?"

"...a little"

\---

The previously scared, scruffy and seemingly timid young girl had taken to staying by Eren's side for the foreseeable future. If any men approached her too casually or tried to be 'friendly' he would give them an earful of curse words Mikasa didn't understand. She appreciated having someone around who seemed to look out for her, and it was nice to have someone else's back in return. Likewise Eren felt a strong sense of camaraderie and companionship or even friendship with Mikasa. Although she was definitely not a native, with pale white, ghost like complexion and jet black hair, she was strong.

She was physically able to do what Eren couldn't when she followed him through his daily chores. He went by the next few weeks spending most of his time with Mikasa and he taught her with limited words about different animals, plants, insects and fungi that were present on their travels. Whereas Mikasa wasn't so much of an information sponge, she performed physical abilities much better than Eren. She could hike further, carry more and work longer. 

It turned out she was originally from a country not too far from Karanese, which had a lot of trade routes between the nations, so the language was common throughout her homeland. She had been with her family on a vacation in the Maria districts when they had stayed in a village close to the river, only to be unfortunate enough to be present for a raid. Both of her parents had been killed and that was the only information Mikasa offered to Eren. The unanswered question of whether any rebels had laid a hand on her since then would for the time being remain exactly that. Unanswered. Eren didn't want to pry and he definitely didn't offer any information about his several close calls over the years. Especially with rebels that had been smoking what he'd learnt was marijuana. Much like that first creepy man with the dog food in the dead of night. 

It had been a long day of collecting coca leaves in the fields lower downhill, so when the two arrived back to their makeshift shelter they were exhausted. Eren lay on his back on his raised bunk beneath his bug net and Mikasa scooted herself under and sat at the end of his bed, the soft citrusy candles being the only thing left to illuminate the area. 

"Eren?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Do you miss home?" Eren frowned at the question. It felt like such a long time.

"Every day. It's like I wake up sometimes and expect this all to be a nightmare. You know?" Mikasa simply nodded once in response. 

"I miss my parents." 

"Me too." 

"Do you think you'll ever see your dad again?" Mikasa asked. 

Eren sat up onto his elbows and shrugged. "I don't know. He probably thinks I'm dead." Mikasa didn't have a verbal response, so just hummed noncommittally. The air between them was heavy and sullen, but neither said anything for a long time until Mikasa shuffled closer, lying beside Eren. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and simply held her as they lay silently listening to the beginnings of the symphony of the nocturnal creatures warming up their instruments for the night.

Eren was first to break the silence. "I'm going to see if I can get out of here." 

"Where will you go?"

"Anywhere but here. I know enough about the forest now to make it on my own. All I need is a knife or a machete and I will be able to fend for myself." 

Mikasa adjusted her position to look at Eren better in the dimming late daylight. "That sounds like a bad idea." 

"What do you expect me to do? Sit and wait for them to get bored of babysitting and kill us both? Come with me. I want to find the Scouting Regiment and sign up."

"The scouting.. what?" she asked, not familiar with the setup of Ragakan military. 

Eren explained in likely far more detail and enthusiasm than she could ever need and in the end settled for silence rather than trying to dissuade the stubborn boy from taking on the forest. The pair quickly fell asleep in anticipation for another work-filled day.

\---

On a morning like any other, roughly fourteen months since Mikasa's arrival, Eren was shoved into their tent with a gun pointed at his back as he was thrown to the ground, startling the girl from her sleep. The rebel was yelling at him in a language she barely understood, but could pick out occasional words as they argued. Despite understanding odd words, it made no sense to her with no context, so she stood carefully from her bunk and kept her distance. Both youths flinched as the man shot the ground right beside Eren's hand and he then swiftly kicked any further arguments right out of the boy's mouth. 

"This one never fucking behaves!" the man called to two others who followed him in shortly after. They had their machetes slung resting on their shoulders and they smoked their spliffs as they watched the scene unfold, donning their facial expressions with bored indifference. Mikasa ran over to try to get the man to stop kicking Eren, by launching herself onto his back and tugging at his hair. She screamed at him and the other two men simply laughed at him as he tried to pull the girl off, eventually pulling at her collar and throwing her over his head. She landed right on top of Eren who had just attempted to get up, leaving them both breathless and winded. 

"What did the brat do this time?" 

The man brushed himself down and frowned, glaring at the two children as he beckoned another rebel for a cigarette. "The little shit was sneaking around the weapons hut. Again"

"Just take him to the boss" They all nodded and agreed, and dragged Eren away by the hair from his only sanctuary in the entire camp towards a leaf-thatched roof building in the centre of the forested encampment. He told Mikasa to stay but she followed anyway. When Eren started yelling at the young girl using words the rebels didn't understand, they told him to "shut the fuck up" and silenced him with a rough thrust of a rifle butt to the chest, the air leaving his lungs in a flash. Mikasa tentatively respected Eren's wishes and returned slowly to their sleeping area, tucking a blanket around herself and nervously waiting. 

Once Eren returned, he was thrown back into the tent with a bloodied eyebrow, a black eye and a split lip. From the way he walked, she knew that wasn't the worst of the damage on the boy's body either. He had a sullen look on his face but his eyes were alight with anger, a look she'd never seen on his face before until now. "Get your things, Mikasa" he said in a low, resentful growl. 

"Where are we going?" she asked carefully, sensing Eren's grim attitude.

"I don't know, just do it. Beast's orders" 

The two children were taken away from the main large camp, a day's hike up over the ridge of the mountain to a small camp where they stayed the night before heading out one more day's hike the way Eren had been led here over a year ago. The five men escorting them did not speak to them, only giving them warnings with occasional shots of their guns when they showed reluctance to comply. 

Since being allowed to leave the dog kennel, Eren had been treated harshly but not unreasonably. He would rarely find himself being beaten for no good reason and quickly learnt that the more compliant and obedient he were, the less he would be assaulted. The verbal abuse was more or less constant throughout his stay but he'd come to a stage where he was able to tune it out and just nod along. It seemed to work for him, and seemed to prevent him being hit, so he stuck with it. Unless the slurs were regarding his mother or Mikasa. Then he'd attack in a heartbeat, earning him kicks or beatings. One time they'd even whipped his bare back, leaving a criss-cross of still red scars across the boy's tanned skin. 

Mikasa had not been in captivity for nearly as long as Eren, being brought to the main Titan camp as soon as she was taken from the Maria district. Until they reached this very camp, the operations had been a slight mystery to the children. From what Eren had shared with Mikasa from his observations was that they produced cocaine and marijuana. Never did he encounter anyone taking cocaine, but the rebels would often chew on the coca leaves to assist with altitude sickness. Those who did spent a lot of their time high as kites. Alcohol was rare, so smoking was the next most common vice amongst rebels. 

The mystery would soon come to light as soon as they entered the new camp. They did not yet know that this new location would become their home and workplace. The two were showed to a medium sized yet tall, closed tent. Inside were roughly six bunk beds, three on each side, all but three beds appeared to be in use although no one was present in the tent at the time. There was a sectioned off portion at the rear of the tent and gauging by the towel racks and soap on the shelves at the back, it led to the wash room. 

The rebel escorting the two was approached by a broad man with goggles and a white laboratory coat, holding two collars. Eren carefully stepped in front of Mikasa and she gripped tightly onto the back of his shirt as he approached, kneeling before them. 

"Come now, don't make this harder than it needs to be." 

Eren glared at the man, not trusting him at all, not moving an inch until the other man who'd escorted them into the tent stepped forward in frustration, ready to intimidate the children. Eren held his hands up slightly and nodded in submission at the man who was presenting the open collar before Eren's neck. He reluctantly moved forward into it and held Mikasa's hand as hers was also fixed around her neck. Once in place the man in the lab coat pulled a third one into view. Like their own, it had a small pair of devices on either side. The buckle locked into place and was connected to the devices. The man attempted to unbuckle the collar and the devices triggered, activating two piercing blades on the insides of the collar. 

The two children flinched, feeling greatly unsettled at what was now around their necks and Eren was almost shaking in fear or anger, he wasn't sure which. 

"You try to remove these, you die. Simple as that. You try to leave the encampment, the same will happen. We have a perimeter of triggers surrounding the camp that will activate the collar if you attempt to escape. You will sleep here." He spoke with such grave seriousness that even Eren was holding his tongue. The man gestured to two top bunks that were positioned opposite one another. Mikasa was not pleased with having such a cavernous gap between her and Eren, but she kept any complaints to herself and her expression blank. 

The men leave, zipping the tent back up and Mikasa moves around to Eren's front to look at him. 

"What did they say?" she asked, having not understood the explanation fully, aside from the obvious 'don't take the collar off' demonstration. 

"They have triggers in a circle around this camp. It will activate our collars if we try to escape." 

"Oh." 

"Yeah. So much for home... Just when they were starting to trust me, too." Eren mumbled, visibly deflated. 

Mikasa was quiet for a long moment before speaking up, using simple words as ever. Even if fluent in Karanese, she likely would have kept her sentences short and sweet, reserving her breath only for truly valuable words.

"What if you don't ever make it back?" Eren furrowed his brow and glared at Mikasa, looking shocked and irritated. "Maybe you should let the escaping thing go." 

"And what," Eren tapped the collar around the girl's neck, making her flinch "remain their lap dogs for the rest of our lives, however long that may be? I don't know about you but I actually want to taste freedom for once in my pathetic life. Don't you?" He stared at the girl expectantly who simply shrugged, only angering him more at her indifference when he so clearly felt so passionate about the topic. 

"It's not all bad. Besides, we're just kids and we're days away from the sea in what direction, I'm sure neither of us know. What were you expecting, to just pop out for a walk and end up back home?" 

"You think I haven't already thought of that?"

"If you do want to escape you haven't planned it very well." She said with a shrug, expression blank as ever. Eren frowned because he understood that she was correct. He still considered himself a weakling and needed more than jungle savvy to make it alive out there, especially in Titan territory. 

The two eventually looked around at the other bunks in the tent and settled on sitting on the same top empty bunk together. Mikasa ended up falling asleep at Eren's side who was not too far behind her, his eyes drooping from tiredness. He must have only rested for less than two hours before there came loud yells and clanging from outside the tent. Mikasa sat bolt upright whereas Eren allowed sleep to fade much slower, remaining still on the bed despite the disturbance which obviously roused him from his sleep.

From his years in the camps by now he had grown used to being disrupted in the night and most of the time it was because some fool had woken up for a piss and been bitten by a spider. Instances such as this were common occurrences in the heart of the rainforest whilst living amongst criminals. 

The noises got louder and closer and both Mikasa and Eren flinched once the zip of the tent was opened and people started pouring in. It was tricky to make out in the dark but they definitely were not rebels although the men could be heard from outside ushering the people in. Judging by their height and some of their builds the two could make out that it was other children entering and moving towards their beds, lighting bedside citronella lamps and disappearing beneath their insect nets. 

Eyes peeled and locked onto the possible threat, the two remained silent from their bunk and observed, evaluating for threat before initiating contact. No one said a word to them, and they kept quiet themselves. 

Whether they were a threat to them or not they would have to wait to discover for themselves the following morning.


	4. Cocaine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to a group of characters that don't get mentioned so much in many snk fanfics. :) enjoy!

Eren awakes to the gentle hum of the morning's songbirds and insects and the last dwindling noises from the loud, hot jungle night. The pair had slept reasonably well curled up against one another and seemingly awoke before all of the other occupants of their tent. Eren sat upright leaving Mikasa to doze slightly and his attention was instantly caught by a pair of light brown eyes looking tiredly at him from the upper bunk beside his own. Laying there beneath his own insect net was a young man of no older than maybe sixteen with short cropped blonde hair and thick sideburns. 

The boy sat up and smiled slightly, the tension in Eren's shoulder relaxing to some degree at the sight of the boy's own collar. His heart also sank slightly when he realised the boy was wearing one. He was being held captive too. 

The boy greeted him in Ragakan, saying hello and sounding very forced. Judging by his pronunciation, it was not his first language. Eren smiled and returned the gesture, giving Mikasa a gentle nudge. 

"Hi." 

"I am Thomas. Hello" 

"Eren" he said pointing to himself, and "Mikasa," pointing to the girl sitting up beside him. The boy sat up and pulled his insect net over his head, getting a better view of the two new arrivals. They spoke quietly so as not to disturb those still sleeping, although if they weren't already half awake due to the jungle noises then they likely wouldn't be disturbed by light conversation.

"You speak Ragakan?" 

"Eh, a little friend. I learn simple words from being four months here." 

Eren would have smiled a little at his mispronunciations and speech errors, but they understood one another and that was all that mattered. He continued. "Are you from here?" 

"Ragako?" He nodded, as did Eren, although pointed to Mikasa after speaking for himself "She is not" 

"Ah. I am from Trost. You know?" 

Eren shrugged. He didn't know it. Mikasa spoke up next, bluntly asking Thomas if he spoke Karanese. He didn't. His broken Ragakan would have to suffice for now. Eren didn't know how long they would be spending together, but if it was anything like his last three and a half years, he'd have time to teach him. 

"How old are you?" Eren asked.

"Sixteen, you?" 

"Fourteen and sixteen" he gestured to himself, then to Mikasa.

"Nice to meet you. Eren and Mikasa" 

"You too. Were you captured?" Eren asked. The boy frowned and nodded. Now that the sun was rising as they spoke, the morning light was revealing more tell-tell signs of Thomas's experiences. The boy's neck was littered with bruises and his skin was dry and chapped in places and he looked exhausted. It grimly reminded him of what he'd gone through during his first few months with the Titans. They were not known for their kindness when breaking in stolen children. Get them to submit quickly, they become easier to mould, he had heard a rebel once say. Get them young and break them in like a horse except with more violence and threats. 

"Yes, we all are." Thomas responded. He gestured to the other bunk beds. "We work for them and if we don't they beat us and starve us." Eren nodded with a soft frown. He understood the method all too well, and wasn't looking forward to another spat of beatings. "They make us make drugs. It is no good, you will see" 

Mikasa nudged Eren's attention away from the sad look on Thomas's face. The other children in the tent had since all sat up, bar one on one of the lower bunks who was still sleeping, all eyes on the new arrivals. Mikasa pulled at the bug net and tied it above the bed into a large knot, copying the other children. 

The two new arrivals tentatively got up and out of their bunk and the others all gathered around, offering smiles. They all looked overworked and under-slept and they all had collars around their necks. They each went around the room introducing themselves by name only, and Thomas would explain what he knew about them as they went around. First up was a young man with grey green eyes, the largest build out of all of them and shaved dark hair. 

"Franz, he speaks Karanese, he and those four are from there." Thomas pointed at what Eren and Mikasa would learn was Mylius, Mina, Nac and Hannah. The ages ranged from Eren and Mina being the youngest at fourteen to Franz being the eldest at seventeen. The rest were somewhere in between. Eren was sure to greet them all in Karanese, to which they all smiled and seemed relieved to find another person they could interact with and understand. 

Mylius had ash blonde hair and blue eyes, Mina was a petite girl at fourteen with milky white skin and black hair. She primarily improvised and kept it tied into loose pigtails with what looked like red rubber bands. Nac had black straight hair that he had a habit of pushing back out of his face and Hannah was a girl of average build for her age with pale freckled skin and ginger hair. She seemed quite lively despite her circumstances and Eren appreciated her energy. 

"That is the Karanese, me and Samuel are from Trost" he gestured to a boy beside him who had black hair styled into an undercut. He gave Eren a smile and nodded along with whatever it was Thomas proceeded to say in their native Trostian dialect. Presumably an introduction, as Eren heard his and Mikasa's names mentioned. 

"Tom and Daz are from Capitol." Finally, Eren thought to himself, someone who speaks Ragakan other than himself. Thomas pointed out Daz who was a nervous looking young boy with short scruffy hair. Thomas thinned his lips and looked around, eyes settling on a lower bunk which still had a sleeping body lying in it. Hannah had gotten up to go and wake the boy, but she looked over at the others with a sad glint in her eyes and hung her head. The atmosphere between the children turned quiet and gloomy. The tent was silent for a moment, allowing only the noises of the awakening forest to permeate their fabric walls, doing nothing to cut the tension. 

Hannah moved back over to where the others were all gathered sat on the floor between bunks and Franz pulled her into a gentle hug. Mylius, the boy with ask blonde hair turned to Eren and Mikasa and quietly informed them that Tom had been beaten quite badly multiple times over the last few weeks and that it was likely he wasn't given the medical care he would have needed to survive. It was a sad occurrence that one of them didn't make it through the night, although it didn't seem to surprise anyone. Eren couldn't decide which one was more upsetting. 

Eren rested his eyes on the still lump beneath the mesh netting on the bunk and frowned before returning his attention to the group. He spoke in Karanese first, since that was the most commonly spoken language, followed by Ragakan to which Thomas would translate for Samuel. With a little bit of teamwork, they would all be able to understand one another. 

"We need to get out of here." 

The others received his bold statement with mixed emotions. The young girl Mina seemed to light up in excitement, the older boys glazed over slightly with determination and agreement whereas the others looked skeptical, concerned, doubtful and in Daz's case, downright mortified. The boy was obviously from the Capitol, it was clear firstly to Eren because of his well educated, 'posh' Ragakan accent, and secondly from the way he held himself as if he were above everyone else in the room. 

Whenever Eren had visitors to his home in Shiganshina from the Military Police or nobles wishing to view 'how the other side' live, or simply just City livers on a domestic holiday, they always came with an air of superiority surrounding them. Eren frowned at his poor luck, the only other native Ragakan being a posh twit with likely little worldly knowledge of anything that happens outside the safety of the city district walls. 

"You can't be serious? Didn't they show you the collar? How are we meant to take them off?" Daz sounded borderline hysterical, drawing attention from the other children. Eren sat quietly with a look of determination on his face. 

"We can try investigating the collar around his neck..." Eren pointed to what used to be Tom. They had a collared body in their possession and Eren wanted a chance to play with the collars with no threat of killing it's owner. Hannah sobbed quietly and tucked her face further into Franz's shirt at the suggestion. The rest of the boys and girls just grimaced but did not dispute it. 

"We can see how to take it off without killing someone. We may not get another chance." Eren reasoned, to which the until-now silent Nac got up and moved around to the dead boy's bunk, lifting the bug net quickly. 

"They will be back to collect us soon, we don't have long." He explained as he took a closer look at the collar, Eren now having moved to look over the boy's shoulder. The collar had two sharp devices embedded on the inner side, seemingly electronically triggered judging by the wires which were circled around the entire collar, connecting to the device located beneath the buckle. The boys managed to see no immediate method of removal as they were interrupted by the sound of footsteps outside their tent right before it was unzipped to a pair of balaclava wearing men with rifles. 

They ducked into the tent and one took a walk up and down between the six bunks, occasionally intimidating any of the fear-frozen hostages if they came close enough whilst the other paid more attention to Eren and Nac beside the still boy's beaten body. 

"Ah fuck, Bean we got another one!" The Titan called over to his comrade in a thick, colloquial Ragakan accent. 

"Get two of them to bury it and I'll take the rest and radio the boss for a replacement" 

Hannah through her tears snapped at the 'Bean' man's response, "his _name_ was Tom!" She cried, only to be swiftly silenced by a slap across the face, Franz instantly coming to her comfort. 

"You know the drill, get moving!" He called, whereas the unnamed Titan picked out Eren and Nac to dig the grave since they were the two closest to the body. Mikasa frowned and Eren simply nodded to her in weak reassurance. They would be able to meet up again later, now was not the time to make a scene. 

"Does this happen a lot?" Eren whispered to the boy as they picked the body up one by the arms and the other by the feet. It would have been heavy but the boy looked quite malnourished and bony. As Nac led the way, Eren noticed the dead boy's shirt rising to reveal a large dark purple blotch covering half of his lower abdomen from where he must have suffered internal haemorrhaging. He winced and looked away, focusing instead on where the older boy was taking him. 

They settled on a small patch of recently disturbed earth behind the main building, a warehouse-like construction. The ground was eerily disrupted and there were shovels lined up against the wall of the structure. Once they were in position and Nac went for a shovel, the Titan who had escorted them watched with an uninterested look on his face as he lit up a cigarette. 

"Don't forget to take the collar off." He said once the two boys had dug a whole deep enough by Nac's instruction. Eren frowned and looked down at the collar around the boy's neck. He'd wanted an opportunity to see whether they actually worked or if it was just some elaborate bluff ever since they had the damned things latched onto their throats. Nac appeared to have done it before, which unsettled and saddened Eren, and the boy leaned in to watch the technique. The dark haired boy pushed his bangs out of his face and unclipped the clasp on the back of the collar, triggering the two metal spikes which he had to peel out of the boy's flesh, cooling dark red-black blood oozing onto the ground. 

The two briskly proceeded to gently roll the body into the hole and began covering it, not exchanging a single word. As they piled the dirt back into the ground, the spiked collar remained on the ground where the guard had approached to remove it and reset it. It would make itself home on the neck of another youth most likely. 

"When you're done bring the new kid around front" 

Nac combed his hair back with his fingers once they were done, sweat having collected on his brow from the labor so early in the warm morning and moved to rest the shovel back against the corrugated metal wall. 

"We'd better get going," he said to which Eren silently followed. They joined the others in the small warehouse type building and Eren took a moment as they were walking to take in the sights. There were messy rotten wooden tables sporting an array of chemical beakers and bottles and the left side of the open room was full of large red barrels. The entire place stank of the fumes from gasoline mixed with other chemicals, rotten wood and the dry burning smells which wafted over through the stale air from the line of microwaves at the back where Hannah and Mina were currently working alongside a rebel. 

Mikasa was to their right, taking and wrapping compacted white parcels with cling film and brown paper, stringing them closed with rope and boxing them. Nac took Eren to presumably the section of the production line which was his own to operate. Eren instantly recognised the coca plants heaped at the back entrance of the building where a jeep was parked with a full load being unpacked onto the dry dirt unloading bay. The two boys took a large clear container each and started to fill them, placing them onto flatbed trolleys and wheeling them full to Franz and Thomas who would shred them, coat them with cement powder and pack them into barrels, dousing them with gasoline. 

There were no protective clothes in sight, only white strips of cloth tied around the children's faces. Eren highly doubted it would do anything to protect his lungs. Fortunately he wasn't working too close to the chemicals, and neither was Mikasa, but the whole room did not feel safe for the long run. Eren worked alongside Nac for roughly seven hours straight until they were all given a ten minute water break. After that they would resume operating for another six hours and then retire for dinner. By then everyone was too tired to complain.

They were all given one meal a day, and they were all given the exact same portion size. Fortunately it was a reasonably substantial portion, even for a growing teenager. Some of them, such as Mina, did not require as much food as perhaps Franz, so the kids often shared their food between them offering any leftovers to those still hungry. By the end of the night they would be escorted to their tent to sleep. By this time it was roughly eight in the evening, giving them time to shower before nightfall and get to sleep early before the noises of the night would have a chance to build into full swing. Eren and Mikasa had swiftly learnt that where possible if you can fall asleep before the forest awakes, then it would be a better night's sleep. 

This regime was followed for a few days and Eren spent most of his time observing for holes in the routine for possible means of escape. He was not sure how he would get his collar off, or even motivate half of these other children to join him in fighting, but he would cross that bridge when he got to it. He wasn't a particularly strategic planner, acting more on impulse over anything else. He honestly didn't care if no one joined him, although he would have appreciated their company. The boy grew close to this ragtag collection of orphaned and stolen children in the first few days and found he shared a lot more in common than he originally thought. 

They would all group up just before bed and just after waking to talk, learn each other's languages and get to know one another. They exchanged stories of foreign homes, passed and living relatives and loved ones and occasionally the children would tell Eren and Mikasa about events that had passed prior to their arrival, such as the people they had replaced. 

Franz gestured to the empty bottom bunk which was there upon Eren and Mikasa's arrival. 

"We had a lady called Elena working here. She was kidnapped from the island close to the military headquarters. The Titans would come in and rape her when we were all sleeping. It was horrible, we all just kept quiet and pretended it wasn't happening." 

Eren frowned, but asked anyway, "Was she a soldier?" 

Franz shook his head with a shrug, "She was married to one of the generals I think. That's what she told us at least. Scouts general or something, whatever that is." Some of the others nodded in agreement but otherwise kept quiet, preserving what little energy they had. 

"Did she ever talk about the Scouts?" Eren barked almost excitedly, determined to learn anything he could. He still wanted to join them and kill every last Titan. 

"Not really. Just that her husband was probably looking for her. We doubted they'd find her and here we are, a month later with no peep from these mysterious Scouts."

"I don't even think they exist!" Daz joined in with his 'proper' Ragakan, still as skittish and nervous as ever. "No one ever sees them in the City. They are probably just some propaganda regiment to try to ease the people's worry about rebels"

Eren rolled his eyes and retorted "well we wouldn't have such a problem with drugs if the military police in the capitol wasn't corrupt and letting it happen for cash under the table!" 

Daz frowned and blinked in surprise at the boy's energy, folding his arms defensively. "That does _not_ happen, the military police in Mitras are doing everything they can to stop it. How would _you_ even know, you're from Maria, no where near the Capitol. You don't know what it's like!" The boy was getting hysterical again, a common trait of his and Eren was only getting more angry at the boy's lack of common sense. 

"How blind are you? You lived there yourself and you can't see what's clearly going on under your noses! Remind us _all_ how you were captured, living in the most heavily defended part of the entire country?" Eren was sizing up to the boy now, only to be held back by Mikasa and Franz placed his large frame between the two boys, ordering the pair of them both to "cool it, right now". 

Eren reluctantly calmed down after that but still didn't agree with the sheltered boy. He resented anyone who could live such peacefully unaware lives and believed that what he had gone through didn't happen anywhere other than fairy tails. The Titans were a very real organisation and now Eren had the displeasure of working alongside other captive children as he grew older. Since arriving at the camp with the manufacture shed, Eren and Mikasa both shared two more birthdays. Along the way the group had lost Samuel to a snake bite as well as Mylius, Daz and Nac to a recent bout of jungle fever which even took out a few of the rebels. 

Mikasa had begun showing symptoms but the Titans kept working her, causing Eren to openly attack the men who so much as touched her in any way. The guards around the encampment took to calling him a dog and the other children had nicknamed him a suicidal bastard, taking on armed guards with nothing more than his fists. How he went these years without ever being shot, no one knew, even Eren. Thomas eventually picked up enough Ragakan to become fluent. After Samuel's passing a year prior he had no choice, having no one else who spoke his mother tongue from Trost. 

Eren carefully wrapped a tatty red blanket around Mikasa's shoulders and carefully tucked her into bed, resting a hand over the top of her forehead. 

"It's not as bad as it was yesterday." 

"I feel a lot better" she said. Mikasa was a natural fighter. Physically capable with an immune system to match. Ordinarily it would be uncommon to have a foreigner so resilient, but Mikasa was forever challenging expectations. She patted the bed, having since taken the lower bed beneath Eren's and the brunet sat beside her. She was dear to him, like a sister almost. Mikasa carefully took hold of his hand and they sat in silence for a moment until Eren spoke up. He mumbled at first, keeping his head turned away from Mikasa. Only when she tugged on his hand and asked him to repeat himself did he speak up. It was quiet, but audible. 

"You're not allowed to die too." 

He didn't turn to face her but the girl knew he was crying. She'd not seen him cry since they had stumbled across a fallen beehive near their tent and shared out the honey between themselves before the rebels could find out. 

"It will be okay" she said quietly. 

"How do you know that?" He asked, exasperated. She didn't respond. She couldn't. Eren groaned and let go of her hand, wiping his face before turning around to look at her. "Get some sleep, I'm going to go have a shower." 

She nodded and Eren tidied the net around her bed so nothing would get in, taking himself past the bunks of resting children and towards the back of the tent to collect a bar of soap and a towel. The showers were positioned at the open back of their tent and backed onto the edge of the jungle. There were two metal bars erected from the soil with a wooden slat placed beneath them to stand on. There was a water pump nearby with buckets which you'd fill and hook up to the bars. The buckets fed into another which had a chain pull to release the water through a spout. It was basic, but it worked. 

Eren pulled his shirt off and set it onto the bench beside the tent. His trousers and shoes followed, eyes stuck to the floor to assess for standing on any insects. Such little things had become habit for Eren. Looking all around yourself at all times, being hypersensitive of insects and reptiles and shaking your clothes before wearing them. Everything out here was designed in one way or another to cause pain or kill humans. Perhaps not intentionally, but there nevertheless. The jungle would eat you alive if you were not diligent. So that is exactly what Eren became. Diligent. 

He moved toward the buckets and found himself one big enough with as few holes as possible and moved toward the tree line toward the pump. He set the bucket down and looked around as he pumped the lever up and down. It was slow, since they were quite far into the mountain and everything naturally went the opposite way, but it was a shower and that was all that mattered. Eren's sensitive ears picked up a cracking noise in the trees. His entire head swung to the side instinctually and his eyes narrowed onto the dense brush. It was a faint noise, but he had heard it. 

A slightly unsettled feeling began to pool in the base of Eren's chest around his solar plexus. What was he feeling anxious about? It was likely just a rodent or a boar straying close to the camp. No. Clever animals were deterred by the subtle chemical stench of this place. The sky was darkening so Eren returned his attention to the pump and gave it some more energy to get the water to appear quicker. Once it was full he lifted the bucket with both hands and started waddling his way back to the shower stands. 

The crack again. It was faint, but it was definitely closer. Eren set his bucket down and peered into the darkness of the trees. There was something out there. 

"Hello?" he called, albeit tentatively. 

A pause. 

Nothing. 

Frowning to himself and peering long into the trees he turned and picked his water bucket back up, walking it over to the showers and thinking nothing more of the noises. He slipped his boxers off and stood under the buckets, pulling the chain to soak himself down and scrub at his skin. Since arriving here, Eren's skin had hardened significantly and calloused in places they shouldn't on a young teen such as himself. His last growth spurt had seen him grow to match and surpass Mikasa in height, who was two years older than him. His shoulders had started to broaden and his voice was almost finished breaking. 

He has acquired several chemical burns working in the laboratory and became skilled in handling acids and gasoline with such care and tenderness that it would be easy to forget his constantly simmering hatred for his captors or his occasional violent outbursts. Said outbursts would only usually occur if someone threatened Mikasa. In a way, if he were really honest, Eren felt responsible for the death of his mother and did not want to see another close female figure in his life die if he could help it. Mikasa was in a similar situation and was even more protective of Eren. They would almost have been inseparable if it weren't for Eren's burning desire to escape at every turn, sneaking moments to himself to explore the camp and carefully test the boundaries of his collar. 

In the two years, Eren had scouted out the entire camp and even mentally mapped every location of every single activation device around the camp's perimeter. He knew every single nook, cranny and hidden area. He knew the sleep patterns of every single Titan who patrolled the camp and he knew every single sound of the forest by ear. He could name any insect or critter that crossed their paths and he could tell you if it were poisonous, aggressive or more useful: if it were edible. He had tried many different creatures over the years, scavenging when he could, so he had become skilled in the ways of surviving amidst the trees and felt confident about his odds against the jungle should he find an opening. He'd go with or without anyone who had the brass to join him, he didn't have time for cowards.

Eren heard a faint, foreign crackling noise from above and turned his attention upwards instantly. He turned the water off, having finished rinsing the soap anyway and stood naked, staring into the trees above him. 

"Who's there?" he called. He could have been yelling at monkeys for all he knew. Every piece of information he had collected along the way was telling him one thing, asking him to be rational and ignore it as another noise of the forest, but every other cell in his body was screaming at him to find out more. The main feeling he got from the peculiar noise from above was to be _careful_. The wind blew gently through the trees and Eren peered up into the darkening canopy, seeking out something unknown. The leaves rustled and the setting sun's lighting hit a certain spot in such a way that Eren was convinced he had seen a body in the trees, crouching atop one of the branches. In the split second he had to register what he was seeing, the wind gusted the leaves into the line of view and once they moved again, the figure was gone. 

Eren moved to pick his towel up and shook it before rubbing it against his wet hair, being careful not to bother the collar around his neck. Fortunately they had given it a little bit of slack when initially putting it on him, so he'd grown into it a little bit but it was still comfortable to wear. (As comfortably uncomfortable as a booby trapped collar could be, of course.) 

He dried off and shook his clothes, getting dressed. Franz and Hannah came out from the rear of the tent at the same time and greeted Eren as they were heading out to take their own showers. Unable to shake the peculiar feeling for now, Eren headed up his bunk ladder and into bed. He would from now on include 'looking up' into his repertoire of habits. 

The following few mornings and evenings, nothing seems out of place and the strange anxious feeling from a few days prior has dissipated from Eren's chest. The remaining six children-now-teenagers are led into the warehouse for another day of work crushing, soaking, mixing, straining and boiling white bricks of cocaine, transporting them to the end of the room to be microwaved into a soft white powder and carefully packaged by delicate youthful hands. 

"Has anyone noticed anything weird lately?" Eren spoke up once everyone had gotten into the flow of their workloads and whilst they awaited the next delivery of coca leaves. 

"Weird how?" Thomas asked. Eren shrugged. How would he explain he might possibly be seeing things in the trees that may or may not actually be there? 

"It's nothing. Never mind." 

At dinner, Eren couldn't help but glance over toward their bunk tent, eyes drifting upward towards the dark, thick green canopy blanketing over the camp. That feeling was back. What _is_ it? Eren thought, growing frustrated at himself for not knowing.

"Come on, Eren" Mikasa snapped Eren from his staring. He didn't realise he'd stopped on the way back from dinner to the tent to glare into the canopy. He couldn't be sure of what he saw, but it was so foreign and so different from anything he'd ever seen before it threw him somewhat. (Yet at the same time it felt peculiarly familiar.) He didn't know whether to believe his own eyes. He saw a man. Crouching on the branch above him. Sure it was only for a split second and it was quite high up, but it was _definitely_ there, because the next minute it was gone. If it wasn't there it wouldn't have left an empty space. 

Could it have been a trick of the mind? Eren thought as he lay in bed at night, listening to the symphony in full swing. After all, he worked day in, day out in a narcotic drug lab in the jungle. Maybe the drugs were finally getting to him, seeping in through his hardening, scarred skin. 

Eren tossed in his sleep restlessly for a few hours, spending more time inspecting his insect net for holes than actually sleeping until he awoke to a dull, low zipping noise and the faint rustle of fabric. He did not move to get up out of bed, but he did turn his eyes toward the rear entrance of the tent. His whole body tensed slightly as he saw a figure stood there. It would have easily have been mistaken as one of the other boys since the figure's height was about that of a young teenager, but the build was all wrong. The silhouette was much broader than that of one of Eren's companions. Bulky almost, and not from being muscular. This was not a Titan who usually wore a single flak vest and combat trousers. This was a man in a full military uniform, helmet and all, taking slow, silent steps in the dark of the tent. 

There was one remaining citronella lamp burning beside Franz's bunk which provided enough light to illuminate the figure as it stalked through the centre between the bunk beds. When it turned it's head in Eren's direction he was met with two subtle flashes of green. The man was wearing night vision goggles, the soft green light gently reflecting off of the pale skin of tired eyes. Eren briskly shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep, praying the figure didn't notice him. Upon carefully peeling an eye open he noticed in the darkness that the figure was completely gone. 

Like living hell was Eren going to believe he made this up. Fabricated it out of thin air. He sat up and quietly removed the sheets from his body, crawled under his insect net and looked around at all the other bunks. Everyone was still in bed. He knew it. He quietly climbed down the ladder and paused by the zipper of the tent, listening for any noises out of the ordinary. He began to unzip the tent and naturally it made noise. Eren could most definitely hear swift footsteps just outside to the right, so he only unzipped the tent far enough to crawl out, not wishing to waste any more time trying to open the tent quietly the rest of the way. 

His eyes were already adjusted reasonably well to the darkness since he'd been staring at the roof of his tent for the last few hours. He followed the direction of the footsteps and turned around the corner of the tent to see the short figure disappearing around the front corner of their tent. His heart was pounding in his chest and his throat was turning dry as he grew more nervous at what would be around the corner. 

He reached the corner of the tent and poked his head around tentatively. 

Nothing there. What the...? 

Eren was confused. He looked around in the darkness, aware that he was out at night amongst the nocturnal snakes and other dangerous animals. Something told him that the nocturnal creature he was pursuing was far more dangerous than possibly stepping on a fer-de-lance. He knew how to handle snakes. They would at least hiss in initial warning if you came too close. This new threat was completely unknown. Silent, even. 

Having checked for potential creepy crawlies in his path, he quietly stepped across the threshold of the open space in front of his tent and heard a quiet whirring noise followed by muffled voices and distinct radio chatter. That was not imaginary. Eren looked dead upright and what he saw horrified him more than he'd expect it would. The trees were littered with tiny little pairs of green lights. He had shone a light onto dark rivers to see little beady red eyes gleaming at him from the alligators but this was unlike anything the jungle had shown him yet. There must have been at least twenty pairs of eyes looming above him, _watching_ him. 

Before he could make any further sense of the situation, the air was forced from his lungs as he suddenly felt a gloved hand take a painful grip on his arm, twisting it up behind his back, and he felt cool sharp metal pressing into this neck. There was someone pressed against his back in the plain as day clearing of the camp in the dead of night and he found himself being gently led backwards towards the cover of the bunk tent, his breathing becoming quick and raspy and very nearly stumbling over his own feet.

"Calm the fuck down." It was a man, who whispered into his ear as he was held at knifepoint. He had never been so unsure of what to do in his life. He wanted to fight, but he felt intimidated by the dozens of eyes watching from above with the potential to appear out of nowhere like the man gripping his arm now. 

"The name Yeager ring any bells, brat?" Eren stiffened in an instant and the man let out a low, breathy laugh. How did this man know who he was? Why was he here? What was happening? Eren was close to panicking. 

In his utter bewilderment it took Eren a short while to realise that the man spoke next not to him, but into what must have been a radio or an earpiece. 

"Target acquired, move in."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just occurred to me that I basically said Levi was as tall as a 15 year old. Lols. 
> 
> Feedback me :D it only makes the story better!


	5. Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit hits the fans.  
> This chapter has explicitly rated moment(s) of violence/gore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of your awesome, encouraging and sometimes downright amusing feedback so far, it's really been motivating me and to keep to my weekly schedule.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this week's update :)

"Target acquired, move in."

Heart pounding in his chest and layers of questions swimming frantically through his mind, Eren swallowed thickly as he was slowly and silently guided backwards toward the rear of the bunk tent. Hypersensitive of every single touch, every breath and each bump and groove against his back from the unknown man's chest, he felt the man wearing what could only have been a flak vest along with something strapped around his waist and thighs. His eyes darted around at the camp in search of any Titans yet to go to sleep, but spied zero movement or activity. It was easily past midnight so the camp should be void of waking residents (that were human). He was pulled tightly up against the man for a moment long enough to make the grip on his arm painful, and he winced. 

"So the name _does_ ring a bell, huh?" the man stated into his ear so quietly he would have missed it were he not on such high alert, the adrenaline coursing through his veins waking him up, fast. 

Eren opened his mouth after swallowing and to naturally accompany the feeling of cold sharp metal against his throat, no sound came out. He opted to force a subtle nod instead. The man seemed to respond to this and the grip on his arm loosened completely as the man shoved the teen forward. Eren stumbled to a seated position onto the bench beside the rear of the tent beside the showers. 

Once he had collected himself, he looked up to meet his new captor in the eye, only to be met with dark goggles staring at him without a shred of emotion from down the neck of a crossbow. Eren could practically feel the arrow head glaring straight at his forehead. The man held it perfectly still and didn't take his attention away from the boy staring up at him with wide green eyes. For a long moment both of them were silent. Eren wanted to ask who he was, what he wanted, how he knew who he was. The intelligent aspect of himself fortunately understood this man was being quiet for a reason and it wasn't until his eyes drifted to the man's arm did he realise. 

Black and green crossed wings. 

"The Scouts..." He breathed out with awe-inspired realisation, turning his gaze back to the man pointing his weapon at him. He didn't doubt that he'd be dead in a silent instant if he were to pull the trigger, so he kept quiet as a mixture of nerves and excitement began thrumming through his body. 

"No shit." The man moved a hand away from the crossbow, keeping the large weapon aimed and perfectly steady with one hand as he addressed whoever was on the end of his earpiece. "Repeat, secondary target acquired. Send in tech and get the rest."

He paused for a moment, listening to the response that crackled quietly into his ear too quietly for Eren to hear. 

"Fuck" he muttered beneath his breath. By this point Eren was sat blatantly staring, completely starry eyed. He was finally in the presence of one of Ragako's advanced and mysterious Scouting Regiment soldiers. By the looks of it possibly an elite soldier or an officer, he couldn't quite tell in the dark. In the dim lighting Eren was able to make out that the man could have been a good foot shorter than him in height and he couldn't make out anything specific about the man's build. He was wearing combat trousers and a jacket beneath his flak vest, both of which are naturally bulky garments, making it difficult for Eren to assess his physique or gauge his physical ability.

If the way he had gripped Eren's arm was anything to go by (it still hurt a little), he was far stronger than he looked. The man had a harness strapped to his thighs and waist which fixed into place two small metal objects. Again, the dim lighting failed Eren's quest to soak in every detail of this new and foreign feature of the rainforest. 

"Fuck, are you deaf or just simple? I said move!" The man's irritated whisper close to the boy's ear made him startle, suddenly snapped away from his curious stare. With a firm prod to his shoulder with the butt of the crossbow once he'd stood, Eren started to make his way into the desired location, which ended up being situated away from the camp's sleeping tents and toward the work area. Eren very quickly realised that this man meant him no harm when a few moments later another soldier with embroidered wings and night vision goggles approached, silently leading a group of very tired and worried teenagers. 

"Eren!" Mikasa mouthed silently as they approached, bounding into a hug once they were close enough. The initial man who'd ordered Eren here had lowered his weapon and moved to speak to the newly arrived soldier. The kids sat bundled behind gasoline barrels and Franz wrapped an arm around Hannah's shoulder in an attempt to keep her warm. They knelt down, looking worried and confused, but between them the overall feeling was of hope. Hope that today might just be the day they make it away from this camp. Away from the rebels and the forced labor. Away from the possibility of dying from taking a piss in the dead of night, stepping on scorpions or finding new allergies at every (limited, captive) turn. 

To make it home, to whoever awaited. Or in Eren's case, a worry crossed his mind of what he would be returning to. Did his dad know he was alive? Was he alive himself? How did he take his mother's death and his son's disappearance? If he was alive would he want to see him? Did he move on? Did he re-marry? Maybe he had new brothers or sisters since that time. Six years is a long time, anything could have happened. Eren was by no means the young boy who had been taken that day almost seven years ago. He was mere months away from his seventeenth birthday and had slowly but surely matured a good handful of inches. 

Eren grimaced to himself when he thought of how inexperienced or unknowledgeable he will appear to be when he returns to civilisation. His body had gone through the courses of puberty with not a single ounce of parental guidance. He had to guess when things were wrong with him physically and gradually became more self aware through the lack of information. He relied on his body telling him things rather than his mind having the answers, which was not necessarily a bad way of living. 

The boy eventually had to snap himself away from his own thoughts. He would only make it home if he made it home alive. There was simply no point otherwise. Years of preparation to become strong enough to fight wasted in the blink of an eye. That would be even more pathetic than his current miserable existence. Without realising, Mikasa gave his shoulder a gentle tap. 

"Eren, you're gritting your teeth..." 

Eren blinked and his body relaxed somewhat at the comment as it brought him back to himself. He rubbed his jaw lightly. It did feel tighter than normal. "Oh."

The man with the crossbow had finished speaking in hushed tones with his colleague who proceeded to lower what looked like a rifle with a large silencer as they approached the scared children. This soldier did not have a helmet, rather just the night vision goggles strapped over a tuft of messily tied back, long hair.

"Hello, my name is Hange." Eren couldn't make out whether this soldier was male or female since their voice was too high to be arguably male, yet too low to be classed as female. "If you wouldn't mind I would like to remove your collars..." The soldier said as they knelt before the teens, who instantly tensed and recoiled at the words. 

"N-no, you can't!" Hannah stuttered out a squeal in her attempt to be quiet, her voice pitching slightly louder than intended. The shorter man moved over upon hearing her distress and leant down, his voice low and almost menacing as he spoke. 

"Listen up, if you shitty brats want to live, this fucking genius here is your best shot." They snapped quietly and gestured to Hange with a thumb.

Eren stood up instantly and nodded, taking a brisk step forward. "Get this thing off me," he almost begged the taller, longer haired soldier, his freedom so close he could almost taste it on the tip of his tongue. (Or perhaps that was just the metallic taste of where he'd been anxiously chewing at the insides of his cheeks.) Mikasa swiftly grabbed his arm tightly and glared at him in concern for offering himself up first with so little resistance. 

"What if it goes wrong?" she whispered. She had always been more level headed than Eren, thinking things through first before blindly leaping in like the impatient young man. She was also usually the one to try to talk sense into the stubborn boy, despite how he would usually always challenge her logic in a burst of anger. 

"I'd rather die trying to escape than stay their prisoner" he retorted, feeling the girl's grip on his arm fall away. She'd fully expected a response like that, so she frowned and took a step back. Eren took a tentative step toward the solider who had quietly removed a small tool box from their flak vest, opening it to pick out a few devices. The shorter man moved around to his previous position, presumably keeping watch while Hange worked on deactivating the collars on the captive teenagers. 

Hange didn't use a flash light, rather peering closely at the collar through the night vision goggles. 

"Hmm, just as I thought," they mused under their breath. Eren wasn't sure whether to be concerned or not as the soldier worked on the collar out of his view. With the inspection of the armed collar around Eren's neck, the other teens grew increasingly nervous, tensing in anticipation. The boy may end up being killed if this person (they had only just met) made one slip. Their survival was teetering on the outcome of this stranger's inspection. Eren swallowed thickly as Hange made one final clip and he felt the entire collar go loose around his neck and flinched away from it, fully expecting it to trigger. Except it didn't. 

The boy threw a hand to his throat as the relief burned through his entire body. It was quite likely that the relief he was feeling was not his alone, since the other teens were virtually lining up to be freed next. It was as if they had timers on them, the captive youths had a chance to escape and couldn't quite believe it. As Hange was working on Mikasa's collar the group heard a bang that was loud enough to gently rattle the metal of the warehouse. A few flinched and there were a couple of tired whimpers but overall the group remained silent, earning themselves a quiet praise from Hange who was attempting to keep them all calm.

The shorter man from before moved silently back to the group and gestured with a circling motion of his finger for Hange to "hurry the fuck up, we've got company." Hange simply nodded and returned an intense focus to Mikasa's collar, finishing the final adjustment and pulling it off her neck without it activating. Hannah was next in line. More gunshots, closer this time. 

Abandoning his subtlety and no longer whispering, the shorter man called over his radio. "Plan B. Mike move in, Petra stand by." Eren could faintly hear the fuzz from Hange's earpiece matching what the man was saying and he crawled quietly to where the others were huddled against the back of the warehouse awaiting for their collars to be removed. The man disappeared around the corrugated metal corner of the warehouse, crossbow raised to eye level. 

"I was kinda hoping we'd at least get these off before they noticed you were all missing, but hey ho! Here we are." Hange mumbled, sounding mildly annoyed or possibly amused, Eren couldn't tell. Without a facial feature to match to the tone of voice it was hard to say.

There were soft whirring noises above and Eren could spot in the darkness figures dropping down from the canopies of the trees. He _knew_ there were people in the trees. He wasn't losing his mind. In the mixture of excitement and fear, Eren found himself with an all-too-familiar set of noises flooding his senses. Shouting, gunshots and heavy footsteps could be heard in increasing rates. Hange turned their attention away from Hannah's now safely removed collar and gestured for everyone to follow. 

"We need to move out of sight. Anyone could walk around that corner. Let's go into the warehouse for now, I will remove the rest in there," they explained. Hange spoke next into a radio, letting their team mates that the group of captives were "taking cover through the rear entrance of target E." They must have mapped this whole camp out if they had target names for certain buildings. Eren nodded along with the others, nervous and excited as they followed the heavily armed soldier into the rear of the warehouse. They entered into the sectioned off area designed for packaging and crating, so they were well hidden, no rebels in sight even through the curtained archway into the main hall of the building containing the works floor. 

"This will do nicely, who's next?" Mina and Thomas approached as Franz spent his time comforting Hannah, who was almost turning pale, her usually tomboy charms eluding her entirely as fear took over. The gunshots got louder although none were heard ricocheting off the metal of the makeshift building. They were safe for now. Hange worked quickly, removing Thomas and Mina's collars without issue and began working on Franz's. They all breathed sighs of relief once they were off despite the gunshots. At least now they would have a chance at running away should they need to, not having to worry about dying in the process. 

"What's going on out there?" Mina cautiously asked Hange as Franz's collar was delicately worked on. It seemed Hange was having significantly more trouble with his collar over anyone else's. 

"Just a few Titans waking up is all. We've got it under control, don't worry about a thing!" they said with an alarming level of confidence despite the yelling and gunshots ringing loudly in the background of their conversation. 

"Um..." Thomas mumbled to the group, his eyes fixated on the entranceway into the warehouse. The rest followed his attention to see a rebel stood there, having just discovered them, gun pointed and ready to shoot. Just as the man moved his arm to flick the light switch on there was a loud, dull bang and the man fell to his feet. Jaw agape, Eren looked back to the soldier, Hange, who's rifle was still steaming. Damn that was quick. It was if they didn't even look up from Franz's collar. The longer Hange seemed to struggle with the razor sharp trap-set collar, the more tense the teens grew once again, fearing for his life.

Thomas got up slowly and moved to the archway to check the man was alone, which he nodded back to the group to reassure them that he was. For now at least. The feeling of relief was only doubled once the soldier clipped part of Franz's collar, pulling it off a mere second before it triggered. The spikes lay against the dirt floor, rather than inside the young man's throat, which relieved everyone, even Hange. 

"See, piece of cake," they chirped before speaking into their mic. "Tech complete, everyone's alive. Awaiting all clear to relocate to rendezvous, over." The soldier moved, gun raised, over to the archway after ushering the youths behind a storage crate and pressing a finger to their own lips beneath the large dark goggles. The room was remarkably dark without the weak lighting from any moonlight through the trees or from any burning candles, but Hange had no issue in taking in the surroundings of the warehouse. 

"You kids work here?" the teens were asked quietly, Hange deeming there to be no rebels in the building, possibly all being occupied by the fray outside. The teenagers nodded in unison, keeping quiet and keeping close, some rubbing their necks still from where they had just been released of their collars. 

"Levi? Status report. Over."

Soft fuzz and crackling noises of the earpiece filled the quiet room in-between gunshots. Hange adjusted their grip on their weapon and moved quickly toward the back door of the building from which they'd come. Eren watched the soldier disappear through the door and quickly heard gunshots immediately outside as soon as the door had swung shut. A tense moment filled the air and the teens exchanged worried glances. Yes, they were free of their collars, but without protection they were possibly as good as dead.

Was their saviour still alive? Whoever next opened that door would answer that question. Franz looked over his shoulder towards the archway with the fallen rebel slumped on the ground and to the other's surprise moved swiftly in retrieving the gun that lay beside the body.

He had seen enough of them in his time in the encampment so he knew how to check if it were loaded or locked. He positioned himself beside the archway and called to the others in a hushed tone. 

"We need to move out of here and hide, Hange might not come back. We're sitting ducks."

"Can't we just hide in here and barricade the door?" Mikasa offered sensibly, seeing no point in risking leaving what little cover they already had. 

"Then what of this doorway? We need to get to the office, we'll be enclosed there." Franz said, to which Mikasa understood his point. The factory office had thicker walls and only one way in or out. They would be able to lock themselves in until the shooting had died down. 

"Let's make it quick," Thomas said. 

The group of six moved themselves into the more exposed area of the factory floor, ducking behind tables and hiding where it was darkest. Franz followed closely behind to ensure they all made it safely, which seemed to keep everyone else reasonably calm. As they crawled behind tables along the side of the long open room on their hands and knees, a bullet ripped through the side of the weak metal wall and embedded itself into one of the teenagers. Hannah cried out as Franz fell like dead weight on top of her legs. Eren's heart sank and he could feel Mikasa's hand seeking out his own, which he gladly took and squeezed. Hannah rolled the unresponsive Franz over onto his side with some effort and screamed.

The redhead's voice was very quickly muffled by a large hand gripped over her mouth, trying to maintain the secrecy of their position so as to not draw attention to themselves. Mina went in aid of the girl and grimaced as she caught a dark glimpse of what used to be the side of Franz's youthful face, now shattered into grisly pieces, blood spattered bone fragments glistening where his cheekbone and temple used to be and patterning the table legs dark red. 

"Hannah, he's gone, we have to go!" She tried snapping the girl out of her shock in an attempt to prevent or delay her own from settling in. Thomas loosened his grip on the girl's mouth and she cried silently as they gently led her toward their better hiding place. Eren and Mikasa were behind the other three so had to pass Franz on their way forward, both trying not to look but unable to avoid glancing. It was only a glance but it was enough to take in every detail of the boy's blown in face.

Suddenly a group of rebels ran into the dark, open hall of the warehouse and straight into the small office, effectively rendering the teen's plans naught. They all made quick, hurried movements into whatever hiding places they could find before someone turned any lights on. 

Thomas, Mina and Hannah found themselves a nook to squeeze into between some barrels and Eren had to admit it hid them extraordinarily well. The only problem was there was only room for three. 

"It's okay, Mikasa and I can hide further up by the leaves." Eren reassured Thomas after exchanging pained looks in the dark. "Stay safe, yeah?" 

"Yeah, hurry and hide," the boy told him and Mikasa. They both nodded and scurried along the containers keeping their heads down. The shooting going on outside was still close and loud, but all Eren could hear was the blood coursing and pumping loudly through both ears and all he could feel was his heart hammering in his chest. 

Eren pulled Mikasa's arm toward the edge of a table where they were able to duck low and get a glimpse of what was happening outside. To both of their horror they spotted a group of roughly ten or eleven rebels jogging toward the dark building to take cover from the gunshots. At that very moment, they also heard a ruckus in the rear of the building from the back door and more Titans began pouring into the warehouse, joining up with those in the office. The pair scurried as quickly as their legs would take them, tucking themselves against a shelving unit which offered little cover. It would have to do, so they huddled into the corner beside the shelves and sunk to their knees, keeping low. 

The flood lights were finally switched on, illuminating the ground in front of the warehouse as well as it's entire contents. The two teens shielded their eyes momentarily as they adjusted, only ducking down further and covering their heads when the gunfire continued indoors. Eren glanced up and spotted the shorter man from before with his back against the wall outside, ducking around every so often and releasing a stream of arrows into the chest of a rebel. The crossbow had an impressive repeater on it, and it was eerily silent amidst the shooting. 

Suddenly Hange's voice snapped him out of his daze and he found himself being pulled out from the corner and thrown over a ridiculously tall, blonde man's shoulder, Mikasa being pulled away from the gunfire in a similar fashion by another dark haired soldier. In the short moment he was pulled away, he noticed that Hange in fact had dark brown hair and had removed their goggles to reveal hazel brown eyes. 

"Go, go, go!" They barked at the men carrying the two youths. As Eren and Mikasa were carried by impressive strides, quickly putting distance between themselves and the warehouse, Eren cried out, telling whoever would listen that the other three were still inside. The pair were set down somewhere quiet and told to stay by the dark haired man, being informed that the soldiers would return in an attempt to extract them. Eren watched as the two soldiers ran towards the warehouse, keeping an eye out for rebels that may be close by. 

"Eren, they'll be okay, I'm sure-" Mikasa tried her best to weakly reassure Eren of the other's safety. They had hidden well, after all. Her reassurance was cut brutally short when the loudest noise Eren had ever heard pierced his ears, near blinded him and simultaneously warmed his face to uncomfortable temperatures as both teens threw their hands up to their ears and clenched their eyes shut, ducking into balls on the ground as shockwaves blasted at them from the direction of the warehouse. 

"What was _that_!" Mikasa called out to Eren over the noise, who was sat staring, slack jawed and mortified at the sight of the entire warehouse in flames. The entrance was rippling with thick licks of heat and angry yellow flames. Huge billows of black smoke rose from the air from where the gasoline fumes were burning hot. The boy was frozen into place as flame-engulfed writhing bodies tried to crawl from the metal doorway, the roof crumbling in on itself mere moments later. 

After what could have been hours but was more likely less than ten minutes, the short man approached and clearly knew better than to ask where the other captives were, for which Eren was grateful for. He snapped his fingers and the two instantly followed him as he regrouped with what must have been his team. It was still dark in the thick of the forest from where the trees loomed above, so it was very difficult to make out many features of these soldiers. 

"We're done here, let's move," he instructed verbally before repeating the same order over his radio. Eren deduced that the man was probably the officer here based on the way they all barked "yes, Sir!" to his instructions. They were both escorted by the short man with the crossbow for a tense few moments before they were led through the perimeter of the camp into the trees, following a newly created pathway. 

Eren had to fight against the tears prickling at his eyes when he passed the threshold of the camp, leaving the smoke and the drugs behind. He would also be leaving without his friends whom he'd grown close to over the last years, seeing some as sisters, others as brothers and even some as potential for more. He threw a hand to his mouth before a sob could escape and Mikasa took hold of his free hand, only for him to pull it away quickly. She quietly resigned her attempts to comfort the boy. All of their friends were dead and as per the norm in their forever changing lives, they were on the move yet again. 

The rumble of thunder sounded above them as they trudged through the thick brush. Eren was severely uncomfortable with walking through long grasses or undergrowth at this time of the night, since the chances of disturbing poisonous insects or the likes were significantly higher. The youth frowned and turned to look over his shoulder, a few other soldiers following closely behind Mikasa and himself. He kept his attention down, keeping his eyes glued to the footprints of the men ahead of him, ensuring to step into them as best he could. He was out of the camp, out of the collar, and like hell was he prepared to mess up now. 

They must have been walking slowly through the brush for a good twenty minutes when they came to a small stream where another group of soldiers were waiting. This river was wide enough to fit a small canoe inside, to which the man with the crossbow slung his weapon around his shoulder and waded into the water to about knee depth, pulling the canoe over. He held a gloved hand out for Mikasa and she took it as he helped her into the boat. It seemed very polite, the way he gestured for Mikasa to go first, manners of which Eren had not seen since he lived with his mother and father in Shiganshina. 

The man held his hand out for Eren, but he stubbornly shook his head and waded through the water, pulling himself into the canoe without too much effort. He was eager to impress the soldiers. If he ever wanted to join them he would have to prove his mettle. He had the idea that if he seemed tough, capable and self sufficient it would hopefully act in his favour. He was desperate to prove he was worth their time. 

The man remained in the water as he helped his shorter, red haired comrade into the thin boat. 

"Mike, Hange, round up your teams and meet us at rendezvous ASAP. We'll send the cleanup squad in at sunrise. Petra comes with us." The short man gestured first to the tall blonde stood beside Hange, followed by the petite woman he'd just helped into the canoe. The other men followed on their heels as they returned into the forest on foot. 

Just as the shorter man pulled himself into the canoe, the canopies erupted with rainwater, huge water droplets pounding down against the four in the boat. The woman in the rear of the boat, Petra, Eren assumed, turned to remove two ponchos from her rucksack, draping over the two remaining survivors. The man at the head of the boat pulled out a paddle, as did the woman, pushing away from the bank and paddling manually. 

"This is Petra," he explained to the two teens. The young woman added "and this is Captain Levi. He's not all that into titles though, so just call him Levi."

So he had a name. Levi. Eren glanced over Mikasa's shoulder towards the man. It was still too dark to make out many features and now with the clouded sky it seemed even darker along the river. As it rained Eren could feel the cold through the poncho which did little to warm him. Mikasa leant back against him and he wrapped his arms around her, the pair enjoying what little warmth they could get from the other. The trip down river was painfully slow, the two paddling was nowhere near as fast as a motor. 

Eren glanced around through the rain into the darkness of the riverbanks in the early hours of the morning, being able to take in a whole new barrage of sounds. Aside from the obvious noises such as the rain pattering off the wood and metal of the canoe and his poncho, the rainforest provided a symphony of amphibious croaks, chirps and bubbling noises. It had been a very long time since Eren had been on the river and only now, despite the dark, did he realise how much he enjoyed it. (Despite the circumstances, of course.)

The two soldiers kept primarily quiet as they paddled for what felt like a solid hour before finally Mikasa had fallen asleep in Eren's arms, the rain still pouring down heavily on top of them all. Petra would occasionally ask how Eren was, if he was warm enough and that they would be arriving soon where they would have a chance to rest. Eren would simply nod or grunt noncommittal noises, not wanting to disturb Mikasa. 

Eren wondered to himself what sort of people he would be meeting in the Scouting Regiment. All he knew was being suppressed and caged. All he yearned for was to be able to fly free or at the very least stretch his wings out, realise his potential and most importantly, kill every last Titan that crosses his path. He furrowed his brow together slightly and his jaw tensed. 

"You look like you're about to shit yourself, kid." A deep, calm voice stated. It was Levi. 

"I'm not a kid." Eren bit back, glaring at the man. Levi rested his paddle along the side of the boat and turned to sit facing the two teenagers. He removed a small GPS from his flak vest and tapped at the screen in the rain for a few moments. 

"How old are you?" he asked, not looking up from his screen until he was finished tapping at it. 

"Almost seventeen." Eren replied. 

"And her?" 

"Eighteen."

Levi nodded once and looked back at his screen, leaving his night vision goggles lying around his neck. "So you're both hormonal teenagers instead. Wonderful. Petra, take the next left."

"Yes Sir." 

Mikasa had begun to rouse from her short nap by now, with the talking waking her up. Eren didn't stop her moving away from him, keeping his eyes locked on the man in front, trying to absorb any detail about his expression from the light of his GPS dimly illuminating his face. In the dark however, Eren couldn't make anything out in great detail so resigned in finding out what he looked like until morning after the sun had risen. 

"Where are we going?" Eren asked. 

"Back to HQ, eventually." 

"Eventually?" 

"Yes. Once we are ready to move back out, we need to finish up at that shitty camp first."

"How long will that take?" 

"A day. Maybe two. We're going to our temporary camp in the meantime. It's safe there."

"By HQ do you mean the one by the sea?" 

"Yes." Levi seemed to be getting irritated.

"How do you know who I am?"

"Fuck, kid. What's this? Twenty fucking questions?" Levi snapped, but Eren couldn't detect any honest malice in his tone. He simply sounded tired, which was understandable. Eren frowned and kept his lips sealed for the remainder of the boat trip, which fortunately wasn't too long. He didn't know how much longer he could sit in the rain for. The pair of soldiers paddled to a densely overgrown section of the river and all four of them waded from the water over to the bank. Nothing Mikasa or Eren were wearing (aside from the thin ponchos) was waterproof, so both teenagers had thoroughly soaked feet and hair by the time they made it to a small camp constructed from bound fallen branches and sheltered with leaves. If you weren't expecting there to be a camp here it would be easy to miss it in its simplicity.

There were four of these makeshift shelters, housing three raised beds each. The beds were constructed of a similar fashion, leaves covering a layer of raised logs, presumably to keep the user dry. The leaves from the ground had been swept away, leaving only bare wet mud in front of each shelter. Levi led the two to an empty shelter after ordering Petra to get some rest and removed his crossbow, setting it against the bunk on the left. He pointed a finger toward the two beds after removing his gloves and Mikasa and Eren chose a bed each. Mikasa was in the middle and Eren on the end. 

"Try to get some sleep, it's a long way back and we're leaving tomorrow." Levi said, unbuckling his flask vest and shrugging it off, leaving everything else on to sleep in, lying on his back and closing his eyes. 

As Eren laid on his reasonably comfortable bed, he couldn't help but think of the other teenagers who hadn't made it tonight. The flash of white and the red hot still tingled his cheeks and now that he's stopped moving he could feel his ears ringing. Beside him, Mikasa didn't make a sound, simply lying on her sidem facing himself, eyes closed. 

They had all survived numerous beatings, lashings, kicks, slaps, punches and missing teeth. They had all had hair pulled out and cigarettes extinguished on their necks and arms. They all wore their chains these last two years but being together for it all, despite the losses along the way, had made it somewhat more bearable. They morally supported one another and kept each other sane, looked out for each other and treated the group as family. Now they were all gone. 

So many young lives snuffed out in a single night. 

No warnings, no goodbyes.

Gone.

Just like that. 

Just like his mother.

Eren felt Mikasa's hand wrap around his as he fought a futile battle against his tears, covering his mouth with his sleeve to stifle his sobs as the grief finally wracked his body. 

Although it was hard to believe that the man was already fully asleep, if Eren's quiet sobs bothered Levi, the man said nothing, keeping completely still on his cot as the youth cried himself to sleep...


	6. Cliffhanger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Cliffhangers**  
>  _Noun_  
>  When multiple objects are suspended/hung from a cliff face? :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, there's a small bit of non/con mentioned at the start here in a dream.

_Eren opened his eyes and peered out through a familiar mesh door. He felt peculiar. Peculiar as if he knew his body were aching all over, but couldn't feel it through a foggy haze of internal numbness. He very vaguely understood where he was, but he couldn't bring himself to remember how he got here or why he felt so... immobile. Upon hearing very clear, very loud footsteps he felt his heart rate increasing as if without his permission, just in case he needed the sudden burst of adrenaline and he could feel his limbs tensing at the familiar thick, bitter smells._

_The stench of hot decaying bodies and excrement surrounded his senses and burnt his nostrils, making his eyes water. He tried his best to hold in his last meal but to no avail, it was long since digested and likely already a contributing factor to the smell. Not being able to move, he lay slumped on his side as he gave into his gag reflex at the smell. All he could heave was bile which stung at his taste buds. The boy whimpered when he heard the grate door open and a dark figure move into the small space he was lying in, dragging him out by the right ankle. He had no energy to try kicking the hand off._

_As his head collided with each of the three steps leading up to his filthy, squalid cage, he saw stars, only adding to his general hazy sense of disorientation. Once his thoughts had sluggishly returned to him, he could only manifest one sentence._

_'There was something in that tea.'_

_That's right, they had given him a hot drink and like the desperately thirsty fool he was, he downed every last drop despite how it burnt his tongue, painfully stirring up mental images of a moulding, cold mug of honey milk sitting at home on the sturdy wooden table in the centre of their cozy kitchen. Why did home have to be such a long way away from this awful place? Eren couldn't help but sob with grief as he was laid out on his back by unknown hands. The salty tears ran into his ears. He felt as though he was being shackled into place, pinned to the ground by a force which transcended human strength._

_The being holding him down and kicking his legs apart was not human, it was something darker, more sinister and far more frightening than a simple man. The boy cried in agony as he felt a sharp pain between his legs, dirty feeling fingers gritting and twisting their way into his body. Although physically painful, the boy could not compare it to the pain he felt knowing that the only people in his life who could possibly protect him were either dead or what felt like a million miles away. He was scared that there was no way to stop what was being done to him. There was no escaping._

_Fighting had become futile. One of his biggest fears._

_"Yeah, that's a good boy. I love it when they cry for me!" a man said in a gruff, sinister, low voice. A pair of other voices laughed darkly in the background as if his pain were entertainment. Eren struggled against the hot hands holding at his wrists and his ankles but they wouldn't budge no matter how hard he pulled or pushed. He would arch his back off the ground in an attempt to dislodge the intrusion from his behind, but it only earned him an irritated "fucking sit still, you worthless sack of shit," followed by a too-quick-to-react flash of the butt of a rifle flying towards his face._

Eren sat bolt upright in his bunk, almost hitting his head on an overhead log of wood. His heart beating faster in his chest than he had felt for a long time, he hunched over and hugged his knees as a sob wracked his entire body, shoulders shaking and jaw clenched tightly shut. He leant back to sit up and rubbed his face with his hands. He was not in a kennel, there were no Titans, he hadn't been drugged. He was safe. He repeated this to himself like a mantra in his mind, trying desperately to convince himself enough to force his composure back into place. 

Once his senses had been reigned back in he was able to feel the cold he had woken up to, reminding him of how little clothes he had aside from a floppy pair of canvas shoes, some simple trousers and a long sleeve shirt. He heard a close-by, soft scraping noise to his immediate left and turned his head to see what it was. It was now light enough in the morning to have visibility despite being beneath some of the thickest canopy he'd ever laid eyes on. Beside him was a man sat on a moss-covered rock. Eren only knew it was Captain Levi because the man had his repeater beside him, which the young man recognised instantly. He was sat hunched over what looked like a small, flat, wet stone and was dripping water on it and rubbing a long knife along it's edge. Sharpening it, Eren presumed. 

Now in the light, Eren could make out the man's features, especially since it had (for now) stopped raining. His jet black, wet hair was slicked back away from his face. Looking at the short cropped sides of his head, the style could have possibly been an undercut, but the way it was pushed completely back made it resemble more a flattened Mohawk. With his hair pushed out of his face entirely, Eren would have guessed him to be in his early twenties. 

He had a well defined jawline with the tiniest ghost of stubble growing from it. He was wearing his harness over his bulky camouflage patterned combat pants which were tucked into a pair of heavy duty, waterproof looking black boots. On top Levi wore nothing more than a black racerback tank top, revealing his ever-so-slightly tanned skin and well toned arms and shoulders. 

"Bad dream?" he asked, not looking up from his task. Eren nodded almost defensively as his heart rate slowly returned to normal. 

"I'm fine." 

Levi turned to look up at Eren and a piercingly cold steel grey met with Eren's own green eyes. Face on, Levi's features were severe and his bone structure sharp. He wasn't particularly attractive by any classical senses and the dark, tired circles around his eyes only helped to provide his glare with an all-the-more intimidating feel. Eren shrank back into his shoulders slightly, his confidence wilting under Levi's punishing scowl. 

"I didn't ask you how you were." Eren frowned, forcing himself to look away, at anything other than being under Levi's scrutiny. The man sounded annoyed. 

"Um.." Eren meekly attempted. The darker haired man looked at him expectantly. Eren hadn't felt this way since he was at school, being asked a question he didn't know the answer to, or having to admit he hadn't brought along his workbook. He felt exposed and uncomfortable. "Yeah..." he eventually breathed out, looking back to expect Levi's glare but instead the man had returned to sharpening his knife.

Eren noticed the rest of the camp was now alive with activity, soldiers all emblazoned with crossed black and green wings all working with one another to pull apart their makeshift shelters, leaving it as they found it and covering their tracks. 

"We leave as soon as the camp has been dismantled." Levi said, as if helping to explain what Eren was seeing all around him. Even Mikasa had awoken to assist the soldiers, removing piled leaves from above Eren's head. He wasn't sure what the time was but with what looked like every other bunk unoccupied, he felt embarrassed that he had slept longer than everyone else. For a moment his thoughts even told him he was below everyone else because of it, making him feel sorely self loathsome. 

"Morning Eren," Mikasa's voice permeated through the leaves above him and the brunette looked up to catch a glimpse of the girl's face through the hole in his shelter's roof. 

"Hey Mika... what time is it?" 

"Time you got the fuck up and helped." Levi answered on her behalf, earning a chuckle from Hange who walked past with an arm full of packed and bound leaves. Hange had a harness on, much like Levi with two contraptions hooked up to their waist. Hange positioned into such a stance that once the small cylinders went off, two grappling hooks fired out and into the trees above. Keeping a strong hold on the bundle of cut leaves, the wires then began to recoil, lifting the soldier into the air where they proceeded to attach the bundle to the canopies somehow, making it look as if the leaves never left the trees. There were a few other soldiers repeating the same process, packing their shelters and fixing their leftovers into the canopy and off the forest floor. 

Eren watched in fascination as the team worked swiftly and nearly silently. He kicked his feet off from his bunk once prompted by an annoyed click of the tongue from his left coming from the Captain, and quickly moved to Mikasa's side to help with the remains of the task. In only twenty more minutes the soldiers were completely finished and brushing a layer of leaves across where they had set up. It almost looked as though they'd never been there. 

There were a total of nine other soldiers, not including Hange, Petra or Captain Levi. Some of them must have either been at the camp upon their arrival last night, or arrived before Eren had awoken. The two recovered captive teenagers were not given any formal kind of introductions before Levi had approached, sheathing his knife. The soldiers quietened their dull chatter into silence as he approached and Eren watched as their demeanours changed from light and almost jovial to stony and serious. The Captain surveyed his soldiers without so much as a glint of interest in his steely eyes. 

He had hooked his rolled up jacket and flak vest to the back of his harness, keeping them out of the way and he had his crossbow strapped over his shoulder to hang over his backpack. Pushing his hair from his eyes, Eren caught a glimpse of what could have been a small tattoo on the inside of his wrist, but the movement was too swift for him to decipher the wording. 

He looked around at his surroundings and gave the men and women a curt nod of approval. "Alright. Listen up. Our original objective has been confirmed null and void. These two brats are our only survivors, so we have a change in plans. Get them close enough to the base of the first mountain range and we'll get them an air evac to the mainland. This location is twelve days on foot from here." 

Eren kept quiet, following the other solider's leads. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of a Scouting Regiment Captain's anger, and this one in particular seemed to have a temper as short as his height as it was. He couldn't decide what to make of the man, whether he was naturally this grim and grumpy or whether something had happened to make him that way. Despite the man's off putting and abrasive demeanour, Eren still found himself in quiet awe of him. He felt almost privileged to be in his mere presence alone. He'd dreamt of becoming one of these soldiers and now he was so close he could practically taste it. 

There was only one thing he had to do first. 

Get out of this damned jungle. 

Alive. 

"Chop chop, ladies, let's get this show on the road! Twelve days won't hike itself!" Hange piped up, clapping their hands at the others and Eren and Mikasa were left to their own devices as the soldiers moved into action, strapping on their rucksacks and fixing on their helmets and their flak vests. The Captain remained unvested without his helmet on and kept a watchful eye over his subordinates, arms folded across his chest sternly. 

"Squad Leaders Mike and Hange, if you would please." He beckoned Hange and a taller, blonde man over to him. It was almost comical the way the taller man loomed over the Captain, and it was interesting to learn each of the soldier's names and ranks. Eren was a sponge for new information, even if he never had an opportunity to put any of his random pieces of knowledge into practical use, he greedily stored the nuggets away for his own private reference.

Petra approached from the side and knelt before Mikasa, smiling sweetly. "Hello, I'm Petra, remember me?" she asked. Mikasa nodded, clearly taking in her features properly for the first time now that there was an abundance of daylight. She had a petite frame which seemed out of place in her uniform, as if it were too bulky for her, and she had pretty light ginger hair framing her face from beneath her camouflaged helmet. 

"Before we go I'd just like to check to see if you're injured. Do you feel okay?" she said in a calm, low voice, looking at Mikasa and then Eren with something unfamiliar to them both in her eyes. Eren frowned almost defensively at first as she looked Mikasa over, trying to figure out why this sensation felt so bizarre and familiar. It was almost as though this woman was genuinely interested in their wellbeing, something which neither of them had been subject to from an (armed) adult in years. 

Having had their faces, arms, legs and abdomens poked, prodded and inspected for bruising, Petra sighed quietly as her gentle fingertips brushed across the dark bruise left on Eren's neck from his collar. There was a perfect ring of pale skin from where the sun couldn't reach over the years and the skin felt softer to the touch, having been shielded from most of the chemicals Eren worked with. The skin all the way around was also hairless, most likely due to the gentle friction caused from everyday movement. There was an inch-wide indent lining the back of his neck just above the nape, telling of the collar's weight.

"Scouts, move out!" Levi called, to which Petra gave the two teens a reassuring nod and beckoned them to follow. Before they departed, Levi requested that the pair travel close to him. He didn't want them running off or going AWOL. Eren resented the idea that he would ever try to escape from his admirable saviours and simply glared at the man who paid his sour expression no mind. His eyes simply flicked over Eren's face for less than a couple of seconds before turning away to lead their trek away from their camp. 

"Mike, you're in front, Hange cover the rear." Levi ordered to which both soldiers responded with a "yes, Sir!" and took their respective positions. Eren kept any complaints to himself as they began their hike. Twelve days and he'd be out of these mountains. He'd lasted six years already, so what is less than two weeks? The group of soldiers trudged through the thick greenery of the rainforest for roughly half an hour before the heavens opened up on them once more. The warm air mixed with the damp environment made the already thin mountain air even more difficult to breathe. 

It was painfully obvious to Eren that some of the soldiers were not as accustomed to the mountain environment as Mikasa and he were. They showed tell-tell signs of fatigue early on into their hike, requiring a rest only three hours in. Fortunately they were currently heading downhill, so the worst was yet to arrive. They had multiple mountains to cover if they were headed back the way Eren had come. The only problem was they were taking a route which Eren did not recognise. He hadn't seen many new plants and a lot of the forest looked the same in these parts. There were no streams or rivers to break up the scenery, it was simply thick brush concealing even thicker undergrowth and wild plant life. 

Occasionally a couple of the soldiers would attempt to make conversation with one another, but were swiftly shushed by their commanding officer. He was stern to remind the group they were all still deep into Titan territory and he'd rather they didn't get found out by lurking enemies and shot before their original numbers were due for the draw. He mumbled as the soldiers quietened down that a pointless death wouldn't suit any of them. Mikasa had no trouble keeping quiet, since she was naturally quite introverted and preferred the company of few or no other human beings. Eren however was wracking his mind for something to think about, for something to divert his attention from the silence, from the ache in his legs and from his uncomfortably wet shoes.

He had the feeling that his feet would resemble white, pruny lumps at the ends of his legs before the day was out, which he wasn't looking forward to. He understood what happened when your body stayed wet for too long. Like anything else he'd observed in the rainforest, the moisture will suck any life out of anything that stands stagnant for too long, regardless of whether they were attached to a living body or not. Even rainwater seemed to contain tiny microscopic beings which had a vendetta against vital, breathing beings. 

The jungle was out to get you, even in places the naked eye couldn't see and he awaited patiently through their hike for another opportunity to stop. Once the team had trekked far enough to reach the lower valley of this particular mountain, they took a break at a small stream to sit for a while, eat some rations and adjust the weight of their packs. Eren took this opportunity to remove his flimsy fabric shoes and squeeze the water from his socks. Mikasa did the same also. 

Levi approached the two sat in oversized ponchos, squeezing water from their pathetic excuses for footwear and clicked his fingers, beckoning another female soldier over. 

"Nanaba, what size boot do you wear?" 

The tall blonde soldier stood with her back straight and answered quickly. "Size six, sir!" 

"Get your spare boots out." He ordered without looking at the woman. He knelt before Mikasa and was handed a pair of thickly waxed leather boots with a pair of black socks. Levi took Mikasa's foot and lined the sole of the perfectly maintained boot and lined the soles up, matching them. The boot was a little bit too big, so Levi called another soldier over and asked for a second pair of socks, helping the young woman into two pairs and the boots, lacing them tightly. With the extra fabric, her feet felt significantly more comfortable and she kept her head down, mumbling a quiet 'thank you' when he was done. 

Eren on the other hand was not subject to any differing treatment. The man looked at his feet which were as expected, retaining more water than they ought, and eyed them before rustling through his own rucksack and pulling out a spare pair of socks and a pair of similarly waxed combat boots. Eren pulled the socks on, feeling again embarrassed at his own inadequacy to keep dry feet in a rainforest (as if it were something he could plausibly control), as Levi unlaced the boots. 

Levi pulled one of his boots over Eren's foot and began lacing it tightly like he had done to Mikasa's, who was now standing up and getting used to the feel and weight of tightly tied boots to her feet. Eren's heel slipped in without too much of a problem and Hange snickered at Levi, nudging him as he laced the second boot up Eren's ankle. 

"Ha, the glass slipper fits, huh?" they giggled quietly, earning themselves a faint blush of embarrassment from Eren and a glare from the Captain who rolled his eyes and returned to lacing the boot up. He made no attempt to be gentle and gave Eren's ankle a smack to indicate he had finished. The boots were just a fraction too small but it wasn't uncomfortable and with the snugness from the socks, they didn't pinch or rub in any locations as they continued their hike uphill. 

Since their break, Eren had rolled his trouser legs up to keep the moisture out and revelled in his new found footing. He felt a lot sturdier on his feet wearing the Captain's boots and could faintly feel beneath his toes the grooves from where Levi's feet must have worn these to death. To get boots this well broken in would take years and here he was donating them to someone with larger feet than he. Eren felt a pang of guilt snap through his chest as he realised that the leather would probably stretch these incredibly comfortable, well broken in boots, rendering them useless to their owner. 

There was a feint crackle of one of the soldier's radios as they were moving uphill in single file and suddenly someone called out "Squad leader Hange, we have recovered a signal." 

"Ah! Excellent work, Moblit. Let's see if we can pinpoint our coordinates from here." 

Moblit handed a small handheld device, presumably a GPS over to Hange as the whole group slowed to a stop to accommodate them. Mikasa busied herself by toeing off any leeches that crawled their way onto her boots and Eren spent the short interval looking around at the forest. Aside from the now uphill scenery it was more of the same. He stood still taking in the sights of which he was now thoroughly bored of. He couldn't wait to see a city again. He would enlist to the military as soon as he got back, since it was highly unlikely he had a family or a home waiting for him. 

He pushed the thoughts about home away from the forefront of his mind, instead admiring the sounds and smells of the jungle, every flash of red or green from the birds or the speckled colours in the undergrowth from all of the different types of delicate flowers. He glanced up only to see the tree he was closest to full of orchids, which was a beautiful sight in itself, helping to ease his nerves about leaving. 

"Let's go" he heard a voice call, so he turned his attention back to following the path being cut anew by the soldiers further up the line. Eren passed the time by observing each of the soldiers whenever he could, noting how Mike didn't seem to pay much mind to where they were going, simply stomping through the undergrowth whereas the Captain of the group would take deliberate, controlled and conscious steps, particularly out of puddles and mud. It wasn't long before the group had been walking all day, making it to the direct opposite side of the valley, only a little further up. 

"We're ahead of schedule so start looking for somewhere to set up camp for the night," the Captain announced over his radio so those at the back of the group could hear him. Eren instantly perked up and peeled his eyes, looking for somewhere suitable. Another potential opportunity to prove himself. They kept hiking uphill and one of the soldiers leading the helm of the group led them toward a small, reasonably well opened area amidst the huge tree roots. 

"What about this?" they asked over their shoulder. Levi looked around when he heard a voice from behind him. 

"Not here." Eren said quietly with confidence that shrunk as soon as Levi looked him over. He turned back to the opened area and hummed. 

"Oh?" He sounded genuinely curious even if his expression gave nothing away. Eren pointed, matter of factly rather than relying on his voice which was likely to fail him under the scrutiny. Levi followed the finger to a smattering of freshly disturbed leaves on the ground, slowly perking an eyebrow. 

"Huh. Smart," he muttered under his breath before quietly announcing over his earpiece for the group to keep moving and find somewhere else.

"What is it?" the soldier asked, resting a hand on his hip impatiently as he awaited for a response. Levi simply moved over to the disturbed leaves and toward a tree they led up to, looking up. The soldier's eyes followed and he paled considerably. Lounging above them in the tree along a low branch was a large mass of spotted fur with a long, gold and black spotted tail hanging from the branch. Quietly retreating, Levi beckoned for the rest of the team to leave as silently as they could, so as to not disturb the large sleeping cat.

Levi simply gave Eren a pat on the shoulder as they moved away and the youth grinned from ear to ear for a short moment before collecting himself and containing his expression. Mikasa simply rolled her eyes and carried on ahead of him in the line through the dense brush. The group end up roughly a mile from the top of the mountain ridge in preparation for tomorrow and three soldiers moved to scout out over the top of the ridge whilst the rest of them work together to pitch tarp-covered hammocks. "They're the quickest and most lightweight shelters out here, so that's why we use 'em," a soldier explained to the two teenagers as they helped to tie the hammocks to the nearby trees. (These ones without any jaguars sleeping in them.)

As soon as the trio returned from their short mission roughly an hour later the sun was close to setting and the air was already cooling. They gave the other team members the go-ahead for staying for the night, and that the forest was clear from signs of rebel activity. Eren spent the night, unused to a hammock, sleeping lightly once again and at the mercy of the forest sounds. Due to only having a hammock he was forced to sleep in all of his clothes, as well as stay in his hammock until morning. 

What with sleeping so lightly, Eren wasn't plagued by any nightmares or memories. He was up early along with everyone else, since the stirring sounds of the small camp had woken him. A pair of soldiers were hunched over a small portable stove, boiling water for teas and heating what smelt like beans. Breakfast was simple but full of protein and carbohydrates, which everyone's bodies appreciated later in the day. The temperatures only grew hotter and the rain began again once they had covered their first mile into the second valley. 

The first two days passed without event and on the afternoon of the third day the team found themselves still enduring the exercise, even the teenagers. Proper walking boots helped a great deal and the two had started to carry lighter weight rucksacks to aid the group. Hange spent a fair amount of time chattering over their radio and conversing excitedly with their comrade Moblit, and over the course of the few days Eren learnt a few more names. 

From what he'd already learnt, the team consisted of their leader, Levi, the two second in commands, Mike and Hange and Moblit was Hange's tech assistant, placing him roughly third in command. The rest consisted of Oluo, Eld, Gunter and Petra. The former were all sharp shooters and elite soldiers and the latter was the team's medic, also an elite rifle(wo)man. Dita, Luke, Darius and Nanaba were the remaining team members who acted as support to the aforementioned. It was a ragtag group of personalities, but they all worked together immaculately, like a well oiled machine. 

He picked up a few names also along the way, such as Erwin Smith, Levi's commanding officer, and even heard some snide comments about a few trade owners within the Capitol or military big-wigs whose names escaped the boy. The rain had been absolutely relentless for the last twenty-four hours and now that the team were heading back downhill, the steep slopes mixed with the muddy terrain was making progress extremely slow. 

"Take your time. Watch your footing." Levi called out steadily, occasionally cutting out foot holes in the mud so that the team could pass particularly tricky spots with more ease. He would watch until every single person was safe and would refuse to leave anyone behind. Along with the rain the insect life tended to quieten down and make way for more amphibious life to crawl from the woodwork. So whilst Eren no longer had to worry about mosquitos, he had to keep his eyes peeled for dart frogs, which in this neck of the woods, were everywhere. 

Eren found it quite amusing that the most beautiful things in the rainforest were undoubtedly the most dangerous. Along with this thought he found his eyes drifting to the Captain for some reason, and he blinked and shook the thought from his head. Having not expected such a fanciful thought to cross his mind, he stepped down into what looked like a packed pile of leaves and twigs, only for one to snap loudly. 

His ankle swung out from underneath him and he fell forward down the slope, flailing arms narrowly missing Mikasa's legs by millimetres. He let out a yelp and only had time to register that there was a significant amount of mud heading straight toward his face. 

_Thud!_

"Eren!" Mikasa called, instantly hurrying over to help him up. Eren had managed to soften his fall somewhat with his arms, but his wrists stung from the impact and he could feel his pride damaged along with the fall. Other than that, he felt otherwise unharmed. He spent a moment checking himself over and heard Levi's voice call over the rain. 

"Shit, watch where you're stepping, brat." Eren winced and recoiled at the nickname, half expecting to be struck for his mistake. Levi furrowed his brow as he glared at the flinching boy and his expression softened slightly as he quietly called Petra over. "Get him cleaned up as best you can. Make sure he's not hurt." 

"I'm fine..." the teen mumbled through gritted teeth, wiping the mud from his cheek and wiping it on his rain poncho. Petra looked him over briefly and took his word for it that he didn't feel hurt anywhere. Her keen eye did not miss the small scratch along Eren's right wrist though, so she carefully removed an alcohol wipe from a pocket in her flak vest and wiped it over. It wasn't deep enough to bleed properly but the skin had still suffered a very minor break.

"Make sure it's clean," Levi reminded Petra. She nodded with an affirmative "yes, Sir." Eren winced when she rubbed the alcohol wipe over the small scratch and kept quiet for the remainder of the trip down the slippery slopes. Two other soldiers lost their footing as they continued about their journey downhill, earning them a scowl from the Captain and being laughed at by Hange. It didn't surprise Eren that Hange would be he kind to laugh at people falling. He did find it amusing however that after his fall, one of the soldiers looked as if they had royally shat themselves. Once they set up camp again that night, Levi makes a personal effort to go over Eren's wound again, claiming he doesn't want him 'catching anything'. 

The following morning they all set out again, following the same routine. Hike until it gets dark, set up camp, rinse and repeat. Until however the small group came across a problem on their seventh day. Eren's face was being whipped harshly by the cool, wet winds and his entire body felt hot. His jaw was tense and it almost felt involuntary with how tightly it was clenched. He drew the conclusion fairly swiftly that he felt this way because of the sheer cliff they were currently looking out over from the top of. He'd always known they were high up in the mountains but actually seeing above the trees made it all the more breathtaking. There was zero doubt that if someone were to fall from his height they would for sure paint the rocks below red. 

Eren looked to his right, then to his left. The cliff face stretched as far as his eyes could see before it disappeared into the sides of the mountains on either side. It would be at least a two day hike to go around. At least he would have time to admire the scenery from above. 

"Alright. Take a few minutes, then set up the ropes." Levi announced. 

Wait. What? 

"We're not going around?" Eren asked. Levi looked up at him from the rock he'd taken a seat on to tighten his boot laces. 

"Abseiling will be quicker. We rope down." Eren frowned and turned to look at the soldiers who had started removing lengths of thick black rope from their rucksacks and knotting them together with small metal figure-eights. The teenagers took a few swigs of water and Hange approached with a pair of harnesses, fiddling with the straps. 

"Hopefully these aren't too big on you!" Hange chirped happily. It did not fill Eren with confidence in the slightest. He grimaced as he stepped into the harness and was (thankfully) _tightly_ strapped in. What little reassurance he was able to take from the tightness of the straps against his thighs he did, since the idea of stringing from a sheer cliff face was terrifying him. His jaw clenched again and he decided it was best if he didn't show any of his nervousness, rather opting to get it over and done with, as soon as humanly possible. A pang of jealousy twitched across Eren's features as he observed Mikasa being strapped into her harness looking completely unaltered by what they were about to do. 

The other team members began finishing their drinks and all started to help in hooking up their ropes and harnesses, ensuring everything was safe. The Captain would occasionally go to each of the team member's anchor spots to check their knots and the grip of their ropes, giving them firm tugs. He explained that he would keep watch from above as the team abseiled down. They would travel down three at a time, in four total trips. Levi would then travel down by himself, having recovered the ropes anchored to the top of the cliff. He tipped his body over the edge and Eren's heart jumped involuntarily. What if he fell? All it would take is an unexpected gust of wind. 

"Alright, we're ready. Hange you take Darius and Siss. Mike takes Nessy and Nanaba, Petra takes Eren and Oluo and Moblit takes Gunter and Mikasa. Are we clear?" 

"Yes Sir!" they all barked in unison with Hange, Darius and Siss lining up to the cliff face and hooking their gear together, testing the slack as they tilted back with their ankles on the edge. Levi pulled Mikasa and Eren aside for a moment and pointed to the group preparing to descend. 

"Just take your time and you'll be fine. We'll set up a pulley on the first group so you just have to hang there and walk backwards. You've each got two soldiers to help you if you need it." Eren nodded curtly after the reassurance and felt much more at ease knowing he wouldn't have to really do much. He didn't step too close to the edge as he waited his turn and watched as the first three launched themselves from the cliff edge at the same time they slackened their ropes. The anchor points held steady as they took the soldier's weight, disturbing nothing more than a handful of pebbles and dust.

It was late-morning, so the last of the clouds lingering around the mountain tops had almost fully burned off, leaving the air clear and the sky blue. At least he wouldn't have to abseil in the rain like he'd done everything else so far. The soldiers remaining at the top got into position and awaited the go-ahead from below. Surprisingly they didn't have to wait longer than twenty minutes and that included the time they would have spent at the bottom setting up for he next team. 

Mike, Dita and Nanaba fixed their harnesses to the ropes and repeated the same as the group before, only a fraction slower. Levi lingered close by to the edge, keeping an eye on everything, which seemed to go by quickly and smoothly. By the time Eren's team was preparing his heart was thumping in his chest both with anxiety and excitement. Oluo helped Eren with securing his harness to the rope and Levi observed before checking it over himself. Following Petra and Oluo's examples, he carefully positioned his feet on the edge and leaned back, getting used to the feel. 

His heart rate peaked just before kicking off and as soon as his feet were walking firmly backwards along the cliff face, he found himself at much more ease. His back was directly in the sun which warmed it gently as the breeze kept him cool. He looked around at all angles, even down, and found everything fascinating from his current vantage point. He'd only ever had one glance of the landscape from above. All he knew was how to live under the thick, dark canopy. In this moment of slowly walking down a sheer cliff face with nothing supporting him other than a soldier at the bottom taking his weight, he felt free. 

"That's it, Eren! Keep it up!" Petra called with a huge smile. The gesture further warmed Eren's back, but more from the centre outwards. He understood he was taking possibly one of his first major steps in trusting others by pushing his pride aside for the swiftness of the journey. Not all humans were kidnapping, drug induced and abusive. Before he knew it his feet were on the ground. He must have only been suspended for ten minutes. Possibly less. The two teams already at the bottom gave approving nods, claps on the shoulder and a few "good job"'s. Eren couldn't help but smile widely at how much he'd enjoyed the experience, quietly hoping for more opportunities to do it again in the future. 

He was unhooked and moved to the side as he watched the soldiers arrange themselves with the ropes, slackening it piece by piece as the next group with Mikasa descended. Mikasa's footing was immaculate. She gave small, quick kicks to the wall, allowing her to abseil almost twice as quickly as Eren had. A few short moments later, the three teams at the base heard muffled gunshots. All eyes shot upwards and the soldiers snapped alert in a heartbeat, focusing on getting the three on the wall down as quickly as possible.

It didn't take longer than three minutes to get the fourth group to the ground at the new hurried pace. They swiftly unhooked themselves from the ropes and Nanaba and Mike checked their nearby surroundings as the rest got their guns ready, pointed upward. Hange radioed over to Levi, asking "Levi, status?"

There was no response judging by the unchanging expression on Hange's face. 

There were three or four more spouts of gunfire peppering the mountain air from the cliff above, from whence the group had come from. Eren's brow knitted together and he didn't notice his jaw tensing with anxiety. That's right, anyone who shows him kindness would surely have to be too good for truth, he bitterly thought to himself, glaring at the ground in anger. It was only natural that they would be taken away from him too. The Titans had a nasty habit of being fundamental catalysts of Eren's lifetime misery thus far.

As soon as Mikasa was able, she hurried over to Eren and checked him over, looking mildly concerned. 

"Eren, are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm just fine" he gritted out. 

"Alright cupcakes, we gotta move!" Hange called to the entire team, interrupting Mikasa's mothering. 

The team of thirteen moved swiftly along the edge of the cliff face by roughly twenty metres and took cover into the closest fragment of forest they could find, keeping keen eyes out for their Captain who was thus far, yet to be seen. Mikasa leant to help Eren down the slope but he slapped her hand away and slid down himself, eyes straight back up to the cliff face. Through the shrubs concealing them, they still had a fairly good view of the top of the cliff, to which Hange was setting up the stand on their rifle and adjusting the scope. 

"Say hello to Alejandro, boys and girls." Hange grinned as they lifted their glasses and nestled their eye socket into the scope. Moblit simply rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Squad leader... You've got that look in your eye again..." He mentioned carefully.

Hange simply laid still, peering through the scope before confirming that there were no sightings of hostels. They did however look up to point. Eren's gaze followed the finger to what looked like the Captain throwing himself at a full speed run over the top of the cliff. Thankfully the boy's eyes were good enough to notice he was strung up to the last fixed rope dangling down the cliff face, the others seemingly having been untied or cut. 

The team found themselves grinning and Luke and Dita exchanged a high-five in miniature celebration. Hange kept steady and peered back through the scope, concentrating in a way Eren had never seen before. It was like seeing a friend from school in casual clothes for the first time. Seeing Hange being serious was breathtaking. For all the blasé comments and frivolous, excitability that Hange exuded, when needed, the Squad Leader was deadly. No wonder they were a leader of an elite squad. 

"Don't celebrate too early gents, Captain's got company!" They hissed, gently pulling the trigger of their rifle. It had such minimal recoil that when shot, Hange's shoulder barely moved. With the huge silencer on the end of the barrel, the bullet left with a simple, discreet bang. It was loud enough, being right next to it but not anywhere loud as an un-muffled shot. For the briefest of moments as Eren watched the man abseil swiftly down the cliff face, he was reminded by Hange's close by shots of the day he first heard a gunshot this close. His mother. 

He covered his ears and watched as Levi came close to the halfway mark. It was still a high distance, probably far enough to still cause death if you fell from it. More than just Eren's mouth fell straight open when they all heard a loud snapping, crack-like noise. 

The next thing the group saw was the rope holding up Levi go completely slack and start to fall from the top of the cliff. 

There was nothing holding him up, so he too fell.


	7. Solo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened to Levi & Hange bears witness to Eren's realisation of his own sexuality. Amusement follows.

"Take your time." Levi said to the final group with Mikasa hooked up to the ropes, gently walking themselves backwards down the slope and out of sight. The Captain took a moment to look along the mountain edge, admiring how it's sharp features were softened by the tree lines and broken apart by the valleys. It really was a breathtaking view. Along the edge of the mountain towards the south he spotted a dark, thick rain cloud. He made a mental note to get the group to up their pace for the next leg of their trip. Their adrenaline levels would be at an increase after the abseil, so they would probably make good time and at least set up camp before the clouds arrived and rained shit onto their parade. 

Mud in the jungle was the worst part of the job. It would cake its way up your legs and boots if you weren't careful and even when you were you would end each and every day filthy and wet, with no effective methods of drying off. 

Levi's ears picked up a feint crack just beyond the tree line and leant over the edge to check where the final group was. Just over half way. "They better fucking pick up the pace," he muttered to himself, looking back over towards the trees and loosening the strap around his chest and swinging his crossbow into his hands. He doesn't raise it just yet as he's not spotted the enemy, but he knows it's out there. The exact moment his hand leaves his crossbow to move for his knife, he's bombarded by a peppering of gunshots that dislodge fragments of the rock he's stood on, none coming close to hitting him. Using an automatic weapon from afar will do that.

Immediately springing into action, his feet take him to the first anchor point and he's got no time to check whether they're done abseiling or not. They trust him with their lives, he'll have to trust that they sped up having heard the shots. His fingers are quick to unclasp the scabbard on his thigh and tug the knife from it, slicing through the safety knot of the first rope. He has no time to watch the tail slither down towards the edge of the cliff and fall off before he's up to the second anchor point, crossbow raised and armed men streaming out from the trees, guns firing toward him. He ducks and barely dodges a bullet and slips his knife beneath the second anchor and cuts just as he releases a stream of arrows toward the Titans heading out. 

The second rope is pulled down and falls over the edge. They'll be needing that to string their hammocks up at night and he'd rather not sleep in the mud. Regrettably he'll have to sacrifice the final rope. They should still have enough even without the third. He twists on his feet away from the rebels and sprints toward the final rope, getting his carabiner clip open and ready. He won't have time to secure it. He gets a feeling he won't have time to be dilly dallying with screwing together the safety. It will hold his weight fine enough without. 

Bending down to clip himself into place whilst running, he barely breaks his stride as he hooks himself up and returns to sprinting toward the cliff face, the rebel gunshots becoming more accurate as they run closer. With everything he's got, he launches himself from the cliff edge and very quickly adjusts the tension on his rope, propelling himself down as fast as he can. Those bastards are close, he can't see them leaving his anchor in place for long. 

_Snap!_

Speak of the fucking devil. Feeling himself free-fall and the rope attached to his harness go completely slack, he times himself for a couple of seconds, giving himself enough time to twist in the air and face toward the upper canopy, launching his grappling hooks out into the trees. If his hair was a mess before they started this exercise, what with free-falling and swinging through the air, it's a rat's nest now. 

With the speed he was falling, his hooks grapple into a large tree and swings him straight into the understory layer. He flies quickly past a few large tree trunks and is quick to reposition them so to not plant straight into one at full speed. Bringing himself slowly to a halt he lands on the forest floor, chest heaving and breath ragged from physical exertion. He retracts his hooks with a loud complaining crack from the tree bark they were embedded in and then take their place comfortably at the sides of his hips.

Levi is then straight on his radio, gently jogging back to the base of the cliff where he'd seen the group last.

"Mike, Hange. Do you copy?" The radio buzzed instantly with a simple "Copy, boss" from Mike followed by Hange screaming into the mic with how glad they were that he was still alive. Levi rolled his eyes and ducked low as he approached the bushes nearing the bottoms of the trees lining the opening at the bottom of the cliff. He looked up as he radioed back to his squad. 

"Hange shut the fuck up for a minute." They did. "I'll draw their attention away, the little fuckers are still on the cliff top, no doubt plotting to follow us. You and Mike take both squads to the first checkpoint and I'll meet you there once their trail has been thrown. Stay safe." 

"Roger that, boss." Mike said flatly over the comms. "Aye aye, Captain!" Hange chirped at the exact same time. 

Levi nodded to himself and jogged out into the open and into the sunshine, looking straight up at the rebels glancing over the cliff face. The dark splodge that was his uniform would have stuck out like a sore thumb from above. At least to anyone that wasn't as blind as a bat. He knew the squad's next checkpoint was due southeast, so he orientated himself quickly and started heading in the direct opposite direction. A few shots were fired, but none hit anything close to Levi so he kept running, slipping a small mirror from one of his trouser pockets. 

Constantly looking over his shoulder would give him away that he was leading them astray, so he carefully kept tabs on whether he was being stalked by using said small mirror. So far his plan was working. The rebels started to follow in his direction from the top of the cliff face. Evidently they were trying their luck at going around, rather than abseiling. Perhaps they didn't have the gear to hand. Who knew. 

He must have jogged lightly for about an hour before any signs of the rebels began to disappear. "Did you fuckers get bored already?" he yelled up at the cliff which showed no signs of life at it's upper ridge from whence he'd come. He slowed to a walk and then to a stop, slipping a bottle of water from his bag. 'What I'd give for a shower right about now', he thought to himself as he radioed back to Hange. 

"Status report, over."

There was a brief moment of quiet, to which Levi found himself a rock in the shade to sit on, keeping his senses alert for rebel activity. To his surprise, Moblit's voice was the first to crackle over the radio. 

"All clear, Sir. We're all fine and half way to the first checkpoint, over." 

"Roger that. Berner, where's Mike and Hange?" 

Another long pause. Levi emptied the rest of his water bottle, feeling relieved at the opportunity to stop and let his body rest for a moment. What the fuck was that shitty four-eyes up to now? Probably spotted some fucking plant or animal and wanted to dissect it. 

"The squad leaders are tending to an injury, sir. One of the rescued teenagers collapsed."

What the hell? "The fuck, Berner? I leave for five fucking minutes. What happened, who was it?" Levi put his money straight onto the younger one. He didn't strike Levi as the careful type, what with tripping and successfully landing his face into the mud. He'd probably never admit it out loud but a small part of him was actually worried about the response. He needed to get these two kids back to whatever families they had left. 

"It was Eren, Sir." 

Fucking knew it. Levi groaned and threw his head back in annoyance whilst his chest tingled with an uncomfortable sense of worry. 

"What did he do this time?" Levi ordered. Moblit was quick to respond "Oh, he..." but the sound of Petra's voice cut him off. 

"Captain, everything's fine." Petra called over the radio. "Seems it was just a cramp. He couldn't twist his neck but it seems it's worn off now. He's a little stiff but otherwise fine. It took him by surprise is all, so he tripped."

Was that relief Levi was feeling. He grumbled to himself and combed his hands through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes before he radioed back. 

"I've lost the trail for now. I will rendezvous by nightfall. Over." 

Following the 'yes, sirs' that followed, he said nothing as he started back into the forest, slowly moving in the direction of the squad's first checkpoint at the bottom of the cliff. They would soon have access to a river and if preparations had gone according to plan, he'd have a couple of aquatic jeeps waiting for him. He conserved what energy he had by not using his grappling hooks to swing through the trees and chose instead to walk. This part of the forest wasn't as dense as above, which made travel lighter, easier and most importantly, cleaner. He already felt sweaty and nasty from the run, so all he wanted to do was at least rinse off somewhere. 

The squad were going to set up at the riverside, so he'd bathe there. It was decided. He's endure his own filth for another few hours. At least this was nothing like his first mission-

Stop right there. 

Levi was thankful for the loud distraction from his thoughts. He didn't enjoy recalling past events. Especially that one. 

He paused to peer around him into the canopies, picking up the pace in which he was walking. His ears were warning him that there were baboons in the area and he'd rather not have to fight them off. Again. They were aggressive little fuckers when you were this deep into their turf. They didn't take lightly or quietly to intruders. That and their bites fucking hurt. A lot. 

Levi jogged as best he could through the undergrowth and avoided a fair few patches of heavily spined vines and trees. He eventually made it up to a river, where he checked his GPS and followed it in the correct direction. A couple of hours at this angle and he'd be right on time for dusk. Not long into his new leg of the journey his radio buzzed with Hange's voice. 

"What's wrong now?" he sighed. Hange simply cackled into his earpiece. He winced and turned the volume down as he followed the riverbed, minding where he stood to not trip over any loose rocks. The sun had already set beneath the trees despite him now being out from them but the air was still warm. 

"Oh, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to check up on you!" Hange explained. Levi narrowed his eyes and responded:

"Hange." His voice was in a tone of warning. "What's wrong?"

"Honestly, nothing. I just wanted to see how you were, all by yourself and all. Isn't it lonely?" They teased. 

"I'm much better now I don't have to suffer your irritating voice all of the time." 

Hange laughed. "You miss me really, Levi." Levi tutted clearly over the radio. He didn't really know what else to say, he wasn't very good at maintaining conversations as a rule. 

"The trail is still cold. They got bored along the cliff. How are things on your side?" 

"Oh, you know. Same old. We have the river in our sights now, so we'll be there in about fifteen minutes give or take and we'll have camp set up in an hour." Their tone suddenly dropped lower, quieter. "We were all worried about you, you know." 

"Yeah well..." Levi didn't quite know what to say. He'd been in life or death situations before, perhaps they were just phasing him less. "I'm alive either way, so tell everyone to quit worrying." 

"Levi says he loves you all, guys!" Hange hollers over the radio, clearly to the squad, allowing everyone else access to their link and being able to tell Levi in a huge tidal wave of ear-drum inducing pain how much they missed him and couldn't wait for him to be back with the group. Something familiar and warm tickled at his heart strings and he couldn't help but crack a brief smile to himself before quickly composing himself. 

"Yeah yeah, shut up you morons. Put Hange back on." 

The line went quiet for a moment and Hange replied softly. "You know, Eren misses you too." 

He didn't expect that one. He barely knew the kid. The kid barely knew him. He didn't respond further than a grunt of acknowledgement that he'd heard Hange. 

"He looks up to you, you know?" 

Another grumble of acknowledgement. 

"Levi, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" 

He'd fought and worked alongside Hange for years now and one of his most highly trusted soldiers. They were one of his best friends despite how much he attempted to distance himself from everyone. Hange always got their own way where it came to extracting information so he understood the fight would be a futile one. He'd entertain the question.

"Ugh," he grunted in defeated irritation. "What now, four-eyes?" 

"Does Eren remind you of anyone?" Hange asked in a lower tone. Levi paused and the line went quiet.

"The fuck kind of question is that?" He knew exactly where this was going. 

"You can't honestly tell me you don't see any similarities. He's got that same look of determination in him, the same stubbornness and if those eyes weren't the _exact_ same colour-" 

"Enough!" He cut Hange off. They went quiet for a moment, knowing they were treading on thin ice. 

"I just want you to know..." Hange started cautiously, continuing only when completely confident Levi wouldn't interject: "that you don't have to keep him out because the same thing probably won't happen again... I mean just look at the odds of something like that happen-" 

"You think I don't know the fucking odds? Besides, like hell I'd want to get close to that brat. He's just some kid we're probably never gonna see again after we drop his ass off in the Capitol." Levi spat out, although not entirely believing it himself. He wouldn't mind having more 'allies' in life, as he liked to call them, but his past experiences had put him on edge, on constant guard. 'What if' and 'just in case' were two phrases that dictated his gauged levels of close proximity to anyone. Even his closest friends like Hange he maintained walls up against, 'just in case'. In their line of work, it wasn't impossible for people to die. In fact it was a common occupational hazard. He'd already lost forty-percent of his clean-up crew on this mission alone. 

Hange sighed into the earpiece, understanding Levi's walls likely better than the man himself did. 

"Well. If that's the case, that's fine. Just remember he has probably been through hell since he was kidnapped. You share something in common. You both keep people out, even when you appear to let them close. You hold back." 

Hange had a point. Levi remained silent as he trudged through the shingles and dirt of the opening river, the trees of the shadows quickly painting everything darker and darker the longer he walked for. Hange eventually signed off after a final status report and Levi didn't hear any peeps out of his squad for another hour and a half, of which it was only to update him that camp had been set up and a pot of tea was being heated for him. It was dark now, he was getting close. 

He walked across one final slope and as he reached the small peak he spotted the feint glow of a campfire roughly one mile away. Fifteen minutes later he found himself approaching the camp. It was thankfully without a doubt that of his squad. By now he had removed his jacket from his belt and slipped it on along with his flak vest which remained unfastened. There were moths and other little insects gathering around his torch as he radioed in to signal his approach. The last thing he wanted after a day like this was to be shot by friendly fire. 

The trip overall had taken him a little bit longer than planned due to an unexpected waterfall he had to climb down, so when he approached the camp it was only Mike and Moblit who were still awake, evidently sharing the night watch together with a hand of cards each. They instantly stood up upon seeing Levi and straightened into a salute. Levi simply waved them off and asked where his hammock was. They pointed to the group of hammocks strung together between the edges of the trees, just on the edge of the forest. He made a point to swing by the fire first to get himself a cup of tea, hoping it would help him sleep better. Once finished he swilled the metal mug out and slipped it back into place beside the makeshift kettle beside the fire. 

He moved closer to the hammocks, most of which were hung full and he set his bag down beneath one before slipping in, and lying there in an attempt to sleep. He switched his flash light off and stared at the canopy for a little while, occasional thoughts of home crossing his mind and occasional thoughts of the sleeping teenagers a few hammocks down. He understood what would happen to Mikasa when they arrived to the Capitol but with Eren it was less certain. He had no doubt that the boy was probably going to end up serving the military in one way or another. Erwin would unlikely let him go without a fight, not with what he knows about the Titans. 

Letting out a heavy sigh, Levi eventually managed to switch his mind off and fall asleep. 

\--- 

Eren awoke the next morning with a flush across his cheeks and a hot breath tickling his chest from his nostrils. He felt uneasily warm, as if he were unwell. Yesterday's cramp in his neck didn't help either, since it had happened again, twice, during the night. They were short cramps, but they were getting more and more painful and Eren dare not say anything for fear of being seen as weak. 

What if they realised he couldn't keep up and they left him here? 

What if the rebels found him again because the Scouts deemed him as a burden?

He groaned as he slipped out from his hammock, his body aching in ways he didn't know it could and he shook his boots out before slipping them on. There was nothing in his boots but it was still a strong force of habit to check. Mikasa instantly greeted him as she too was getting up and into her boots. Once done, she moved over to Eren who had begun untying his hammock, placing a hand on his forehead which caused him to flinch at the physical contact. 

"You're not well." Mikasa stated. Eren simply glared at her and continued twiddling with the ropes to get his hammock loose. He knew she was right. He did have a temperature, but other than that he felt more or less okay.

"I'm fine, stop worrying about me all of the time." 

"You're not fine, Eren. Your cheeks are bright red." 

"Then I'll cool off in the river when I have a wash." He retorted sharply under his breath, trying to get her off his back for fear of one of the soldiers overhearing. He had his reasons well ingrained for wanting to refuse assistance, wanting to appear strong, but in that was also Eren's weakness. He'd be the kind to leave something quiet for years out of his own stubbornness until it were too late to fix. Mikasa on the other hand would rather he just get it out as soon as possible so it wouldn't fester. The pair would have to come to a compromise at some stage. Mikasa would wait until the boy had eaten. Perhaps he would be a little more reasonable then, or perhaps it would even help with his temperature. 

Mikasa sighed in resignation and returned to folding her own hammock. By the time she'd unfastened both sides Eren had folded his own, so came over to help. They both remained completely silent, Eren seemingly pushing through any discomfort he felt. They handed their folded hammocks to Nanaba who went around and finished off clearing the sleeping areas with the other soldiers. 

The location they had set up camp was along the opening from the trees that backed onto the river. It wasn't yet deep enough to carry any kinds of watercraft, so he had the feeling they would be following the water for some time before it became deep enough to travel by boat. It was hands down the fastest way of getting through Ragako's rainforests. It didn't come without its dangers, just like on foot, but at least they would cover more distance. Faster, too. The riverbed was shallow and the open space of primarily dirt and shingles stretched between the two tree lines about fifty metres. It was probably wide enough to let the sunlight in when it wasn't overcast or cloudy like it was now. 

The mornings were always foggy in Ragako, for as long as Eren could remember. Even in Shiganshina. The sun would rise and by late morning, the clouds had been completely stripped in the sky, allowing the dry heat in to warm the moist land. Unless it was still raining, as it would be in the monsoon season. They still had a number of months of the dry season left to go, so fortunately things wouldn't get too waterlogged for their journey back to civilisation, despite daily showers. 

Eren made his way out into the open and spotted a few soldiers preparing breakfast and hot drinks and there were a few others down by the water, washing. Every available piece of clothing or equipment that every soldier could lie in the warm morning sun on the rocks was taken full advantage of. The drier you were in the jungle, the more comfortable you were. Eren joined Nanaba, Mike, Levi, Moblit, Hange and Petra around the small portable stove and was handed a small metal pot full of what looked like two tinned style sausages and some sort of instant, 'just-add-water' mashed potato with a spoonful of tinned baked beans.

He happily tucked into his meal, knowing he'd be needing it, and it was only when he started eating did he realise how hungry he had been. Levi was quietly sat opposite him on a rock, holding his handleless metal mug by it's rim and sipping at a leisurely pace whilst looking at nothing in particular as his squad chatted lightly between themselves. They spoke mainly about the details of today's trek, forecasting the weather and plotting over a small map on the screen of a tablet. Eren was pleased to know that they were already on their eighth day. Four to go, and they were ahead of schedule apparently so it would be more like three and a half, reaching the final checkpoint around noon on the final day. 

Eren greedily finished his breakfast and got up as soon as Mikasa arrived for hers, only to move down to the river to remove his still-damp shirt and lay it out on the rocks along with his tattered, muddy trousers. Once all of his clothes were laid out flat in the sun, he smiled briefly as Luke offered him his bar of soap and gestured to a thin, dry towel as he and Dita got out and dried off. They were the last two soldiers to clean off, so it was just Eren by the water for the moment. Mike, Hange and Levi had gotten up to move Eren's way, towels in hand, but Eren was too focused on dipping his toes into the cold water. 

He walked through the stream about three or four metres and to his surprise the perfectly clear water was relatively deep. The cold water soon numbed his legs and he found himself half-submerged in water as he started rinsing off. He'd opted to keep his unwashed boxers on, since they felt filthy and he had zero privacy here. He figured he could sit and let them dry on his body before having to get dressed again. With the increasing heat of the sun, it wouldn't take long. 

He ducked down under the water to wet his torso and hair and the sight he was greeted with once he re-merged almost caused him to choke on his own tongue, his mouth turning drier than the rocks he'd laid his damp trousers on. There was a pile of clothes from where Levi, Mike and Hange had been preparing to bathe. Also there was Hange and Mike in the water, with Levi stepping in. The choke-worthy part was how the man was completely naked. 

Now, Eren had never given any prior thought to his sexual orientation. He'd just assumed since most people grow up, get girlfriends, get married and have babies, that that is how things would proceed for him. He had always felt so comfortable when Mikasa grew close to him, but he'd never really noticed that he bore no attraction to the girl. Not in the way he was staring at Levi right now at least. Eren swallowed thickly as the hands washing his hair slowed to a crawl, watching the man's well toned arms push his black hair from his face. His eyes travelled down slowly and greedily, taking everything in. 

The man's body seemed almost flawless. It was almost as if his slightly grumpy facial expression didn't match the body. He had well toned arms, shoulders and chest muscles, and his abdominals were definitely a sight to be envious of. His abs weren't exactly an eight-pack, but it came damn close. They also weren't perfectly symmetrical, which Eren could appreciate. Even with his little physical imperfections, the man still strode like an Adonis. Eren's eyes drifted further south, spotting a visible tan line where his combat pants would meet his hips, revealing pale as alabaster skin beneath towards his groin... 

Just as Eren's eyes were about to land just lower than the man's perfect hip bones, dipping into that delicious looking 'V' that led toward a small patch of neat hair, his stilled hands had allowed for a stream of soap to drip down into the teen's eyes, causing him to wince and duck his head down into the water to wash his eyes out. The cold flush of water did wonders to bring Eren's attention back to himself and before he knew it he raised his head and pushed his wet hair from his face, only to find Levi had moved completely into the water, sun glistening on the water on his arms. 

Sure the water had calmed the heat pooling in Eren's cheeks, but now he'd cooled his head down he became painfully aware of where all that blood had gone. In the exact moment he realised he couldn't have had a more awkward place in which to have an even more awkward erection, he heard Hange's voice hollering from across the stream and turned to put his back to them. 

"Eren my boy! Are you done with the soap?" 

_Please don't come over. Please don't come over. Please don't-_ Fuck. 

Eren flinched as a hand was smacked onto his shoulder, his hands instinctively going to cover his crotch. Hange had a huge grin on their face and their chestnut hair was completely soaked, sticking to their neck and chest. To his own credit, Eren kept his eyes upwards at Hange's face, daring not to look lower. His cheeks were probably tomato red as Hange looked him up and down through the clear water. Eren's face fell as he realised the gears were turning in Hange's mind. They glanced over their shoulder from Eren's peculiar body language and then back. 

"Ooooh!" they squealed, barking out an obnoxious laugh, finally having caught on. Eren sank into the water leaving only the soap in view within his hand that remained above the water. If he could die from embarrassment, now would be a good time to do it. Maybe he could drown himself somehow.

"Hange, is he done with it or not?" Levi called over, scrubbing at his armpits with the world's tiniest piece of soap, the small suds gently floating downstream. From where he was in the stream the water level sat just below his hips, leaving very little to the imagination. He didn't seem phased being naked in front of the other soldiers, it was probably a common occurrence in the military. Eren kept his back turned as Hange took the soap with a gentle pat to his shoulder. They whispered loudly into his ear just before leaving: "Don't worry, happens to the best of 'em when Levi gets the goods out!" 

In response, Eren's face couldn't have turned redder and he sunk so far into the water he was almost sat on the bed of shingles. Thankfully the cold mountain water helped in very quickly diminishing any further blood flow below, and he was thankful for the baggy boxer shorts he'd gone in wearing. Hange splashed over towards Mike and Levi, tossing Mike the soap after lathering up their hair. 

"The fuck was that about my goods?" Eren just about heard Levi say to Hange, his expression bordering on a smirk. 

"Oh, nothing!" Hange chirped before leaning into Levi's side and saying something Eren couldn't quite catch. He'd hoped Hange would spare him any further embarrassment by not telling him, but perhaps this wasn't his day. Levi simply glared at Hange's nudge to his arm and flicked his attention over to Eren who had found himself staring again. Upon being spotted he quickly looked away at nothing and decided now was as good a time as ever to escape, taking his leave from the stream. He'd need all the time he could get drying his boxers out before they left. 

"I didn't tell him Eren, don't you worry!" Hange yelled shamelessly. Well, that was a relief, Eren thought to himself. 

"Oi! Tell him what?" Levi snapped, smacking Hange across the back of their shoulder earning the shorter man a loud hoot of laughter from the taller soldier. Mike simply remained quiet in the background as he watched the two bicker like siblings and splash water at one another. 

"Captain, Squad Leaders! We have a message from the Commander when you're done!" Moblit called across the river bank. His words interrupted Levi who now had Hange in a headlock, splashing water into their face and snickering to himself like a little kid. Eren couldn't help but laugh at seeing this more playful side of the usually stoic Captain. It had reminded him of how when not working the labs, he and the other children would chat, invent games and laugh about the fonder times in life. Remembering them all saddened him briefly as he wrapped his towel around his waist to slip out from his wet boxers, sticking them flat against a dry, warm rock.

Petra, Mikasa and Nanaba all had their towels around them as they approached the river and they headed a little further downstream, just below a ridge, so as to offer a little more privacy as they washed. Mikasa offered Eren a small wave, who was now lounging on the rocks beside his drying underwear. He smiled and waved back, watching the ambling morning activity of each part of the camp. Those who were done washing and eating were packing bags, those still eating were doing so over maps and GPS's and those still bathing were down in the stream. 

Because they were ahead of schedule, Levi ordered everyone to wait a couple of extra hours, to rest and to ensure everything was completely dry before they would head out again. They wouldn't cover as much distance but at least everyone would be dry. The comfort of his squad was important to him, so he allowed him this one luxury, since the situation enabled it. 

Eren found himself gazing up at the clouds as they burned away, leaving the hot sun on his back. 

Sometime later, Mikasa's voice interrupted his thoughts. "You'll get burnt." He had gotten comfortable on the shingles and taken a light nap. The girl's voice interrupted him. 

"So there was a message from HQ." She started again, sounding unsure. Eren sat up onto his elbows to better listen. She continued: "They identified me from a missing persons report from years ago and contacted my family." 

Eren wasn't sure what to say. His heart almost felt lightened somewhat, but at the same time it felt strangely heavy. It was a peculiar feeling. "That's... I... That's great, Mikasa." He said, meaning it. Her face softened slightly into a smile. 

"Yeah, they were able to contact my uncle. They are sending me home when we get back." 

Eren felt genuinely pleased for her, but at the same time upset. "So you're leaving..." he said, tone melancholic. Mikasa's facial expression followed a similar form.

"Yeah... I mean I guess I am technically an illegal immigrant." she said with her lips slowly creeping upward into a smile. "But I want to come back as soon as I can. I don't want to leave you behind." 

Eren sat upright and pulled Mikasa into a hug. He was so glad she was finally able to go home and live the normal life she deserved, but at the same time that meant there was one less friend he could trust in Ragako. "You won't be leaving me behind. You'll have a real shot at being happy and living a normal life." Mikasa frowned at Eren. 

"You know, I wasn't completely miserable all these years. I'm so grateful you took the time to befriend me." She said quietly, taking a seat beside Eren as soon as he'd released her from his hug. Despite saying she'd return, Eren had the feeling it wouldn't be for a long time. It was if she were saying goodbye, even if she wasn't. 

"Yeah, at least you're great with Karanese now." Eren smiled. 

"Ragakan too!" she chirped, sounding genuinely proud of herself. Eren couldn't help but smile wider, twiddling with the pebbles in front of him. She'd been speaking with him in Ragakan for most parts during the last couple of years and the pair would use Karanese between themselves when they wanted a private conversation, much like now. They would often sit at the door of their bunk tent back at the camp and people watch the Titans, making funny comments that the rebels couldn't understand. 

The pair smiled fondly at one another and Mikasa pulled Eren into a hug. "You're not mad, are you?" 

"Why would I be?" Eren asked, returning the hug tenderly, resting his head against her shoulder. 

"Well, there wasn't any reports on your family..." she said cautiously, watching Eren's face for a reaction. It unsettled her only slightly that the boy only pursed his lips slightly and shrugged, as if expecting nothing to be waiting for him. 

"What will be will be, I guess." He shrugged again, looking around at the camp that had been completely packed up aside from a few last minute items still being laid out to dry. Levi had (thankfully) gotten dressed into his combats and vest now, so he didn't have to worry about any further awkward boners in the near future. His cheeks tinted the faintest of pinks just looking in Levi's direction. He hadn't noticed how warm his face was until Mikasa's cool hand was back on his forehead. 

"Your temperature has gone down," she commented. Eren nodded.

"Told you I was fine." 

"Come on, you little shit stains, we're not waiting around for our health!" Levi called over to the pair as he swatted an insect away, and the two quickly hurried into their now dry clothes and jogged over to meet with the group who had packed entirely and were ready to leave. 

"Mike up front, Hange-" 

"In the reaaar!" Hange hollered in a suggestive tone, eyebrows wiggling and accompanied by a lewd thrust of their hips. Levi cringed as if he were asking himself _'what the fuck are they doing?'_ and rolled his eyes as everyone took up their positions. 

Levi pointed to the space behind him whilst looking at the two teenagers and they both complied, falling into line as the group moved out again, this time along the river bank.


	8. Tetanus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pathetic!Eren x Worrywart!Levi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how I feel about this chapter. I have barely edited it, by skim reading it once, so do let me know if there are some really distracting errors. 
> 
> Please note next week's update will be on Saturday.   
> Updates will be on Sat going forward after that. 
> 
> Thanks for all the feedback so far, it makes my day, especially since I've been bogged down at work with a to-do list as long as my arm that only seems to grow! :(
> 
> That is all from me. Enjoy.

Four hours into their hike downstream and the squad paused for a break to hydrate and have lunch. Eren had started to feel the uncomfortable cramp in his neck and jaw return. He wasn't overly concerned until it became so tight that he was unable to physically open his mouth or move his jaw at all, the muscles effectively sealing it shut.

Despite the minor pang of panic thrumming through his chest he was able to maintain a cool facade until the Captain asked him a question. He was unable to even nod to avoid a verbal response, the side of his neck and chest tensing up involuntarily until it became painful, causing the youth to wince in pain. Levi's annoyed expression melted into concern as he approached Eren, tilting his head to the side to get a better look at the boy who was bending over on himself (albeit rigidly,) in pain. 

"Petra, get over here now." He ordered quickly. Petra was not far, quickly dropping her current conversation with Darius and Luke and stuffing her half eaten energy bar into a pocket on her flak vest. Eren hastily waved his hands around in front of him as if to get the soldiers to pay him no attention. Levi ignored his flailing. Petra approached and took a look at the way the whole side of Eren's neck was tensed, the muscles in his shoulder and the front of his chest also taut. 

"Hmm..." she hummed and took a look at Eren's wrist, checking for any infection where he scratched himself. There was nothing. It had healed well, leaving nothing more than a pink mark where the scab had formed and fallen. She gently moved Eren's head to the side but his body came with it. There was no slack in his muscles for a short moment longer until they all relaxed at once, leaving him slightly out of breath from the discomfort. 

She pressed a hand against his forehead and opened his mouth when he was able, looking inside. 

"What is it?" Levi asked impatiently. 

"I can't quite confirm for sure," she started. Eren glanced up to Levi who had a stern look on his face, eyes portraying something unfamiliar. Was that concern? "...but I think it could be tetanus." 

Levi frowned and by now the rest of the squad had picked up on something being awry. Eren rolled his shoulders slightly and insisted he was fine, but the cool-feeling hand on his forehead and against his cheeks told him otherwise. His temperature had come back, full force, leaving him feeling disorientated and sluggish. 

"I'm fine..." he mumbled out. 

"Fuck, how long has he got?" Levi asked Petra who shrugged, responding with an unsure 'few days?' 

"Shit. Mike get HQ on the line, we're gonna need a closer drop with faster boats. An air-evac from somewhere closer would be great too, even if we have to climb a fucking tree." 

"Got it, boss." He replied, radioing off to some unknown person. 

"He should be okay for the next two days." Petra assured Levi which did nothing to soothe Eren. Were they saying there was something wrong with him? 

"A few days until what?" He asked cautiously. Petra turned to him and smiled weakly. 

"Your cut must have gotten infected, Eren. Your muscles will spasm more often, and it will get more painful," she explained. "I don't have the medicine with me to help it any, so we're going to get you some proper help. You'll be okay, I promise." 

Eren frowned and got to his feet, which were still a little wobbly. Levi rested a hand against his arm to help stabilise him. 

"Are you okay to keep going?" the Captain asked. 

"Yeah." Eren responded flatly, feeling defeated and unwell.

"Come on, then. Let us know if you need to stop." 

Eren nodded and they continued. He didn't have another muscle spasm in his neck until the evening, when the camp had been set up and most of the soldiers were asleep. He was just about to crawl into his hammock when the right side of his neck, shoulder and his entire right arm tensed and solidified, making him lose his hold on the hammock and stumble straight onto the ground below it with a loud thud. Petra had positioned her hammock beside his and Levi's wasn't far either. 

As soon as they heard the noise and following almost pathetic whine from the teenager they were both at his side in an instant, rolling him onto his side and gently rubbing his neck, back and arm until the muscles eased up and he could move. It felt as though the muscles in the top half of his neck were stretching upwards whilst the bottom half felt as if it were pulling down, creating an immensely painful stretch whenever he moved. Due to this he opted to stay as still as possible. 

Despite feeling helpless, Eren appreciated the attentiveness that the Captain and Petra paid him. It wasn't like how Mikasa would pay him attention out of a need or a desperation, but rather out of a choice. They weren't obligated at all to look after him, but there they were, rubbing soothing circles into his back as he sat up and collected himself, telling him it would be okay and he'll be fine. The tired pair ushered him into his hammock and bid him a good night, saying they'd be right there should anything happen. He nodded and eventually was able to fall asleep. 

The following day, Eren awoke to another spasm. This one didn't last as long as the one the night before and only really affected his neck and shoulder, so he was able to keep moving, (slowly) untying his hammock and packing it away into one of the soldier's rucksacks. Levi walked past and cast a quick glance over him and Mikasa, his eyes lingering just a second longer on Eren as he kept walking toward Mike, speaking about something relating to the squad's orders. 

Eren grit his teeth. This was the last thing he wanted. He didn't want the Captain's sympathy, what he needed and desperately craved was his respect. This wasn't going well. Eren was sat on a warm rock in the sunshine as the group returned about their business. Petra had given him some sort of pill to take, which he didn't complain about. She didn't have any muscle relaxants strong enough on her, but at least she was able to numb the pain a little bit whenever he had a 'tense' moment. His eyes drifted to the opposite side of the river, which was deep and wide enough to accommodate boats, flinching when a rustle of shingles underfoot sounded beside him. 

"Hey brat." Levi said, gunmetal meeting emerald for a split second before he turned his gaze toward where Eren had been looking. There was a jaguar on the opposite side of the river sunning itself on a patch of rocks, lazily sleeping and slowly flicking it's tail now and then. It was a beautiful sight, being able to watch a usually quite elusive creature just chilling out as if they weren't even there. Eren knitted his hands together in his lap and the pair sat in comfortable silence as they watched the large cat enjoying it's afternoon. 

"Beautiful, isn't it..." Levi commented after a few minutes. Eren hummed in acknowledgement, keeping his eyes on the big cat. It was a truly rare sight before them, yet for all its splendour Eren couldn't take his mind away from one thing. Another long silence followed until Eren eventually spoke up. Now he had the man by himself he wanted to pose a question which had until this point gone unanswered. 

"How did you know who I was?" 

Levi didn't sound surprised. He shrugged lightly. "You're a missing person. I'd read your file years ago."

"I didn't think people took those things seriously." 

"They don't. Not as much as they probably should, I mean..." 

"You were looking for Elena, weren't you?" the teen asked. Levi hummed in acknowledgement. 

"We weren't expecting to find her alive. We'd never even imagined you of all people to be in that camp too, and alive at that. I suppose we just got lucky even if she didn't."

Eren was quiet for a short moment. He felt relieved that he even had a file that soldiers had read. Perhaps he had people at home waiting for him after all, even if he didn't know them. 

"What's the city like?" 

"You really want my honest opinion?" 

Eren hummed and nodded. "I've never been before..." 

Levi shrugged, not once taking his eyes away from the sunning cat that had now rolled over onto it's side, revealing it's creamy black spotted stomach fur. "It's a shit hole."

Eren smiled slightly, letting out a quiet, dry huff which could have almost been the first hint of laughter Levi had heard from the boy since picking him up. (Aside from a dark snicker at Dita falling on his ass in the mud.) He was curious to hear what a _real_ laugh might sound like but frowned at the prospect of the boy being too scarred for it to happen.

"Is something wrong?" the youth asked the older man. 

"Nah..." Levi drew the word out with a long breath, kicking himself internally for even sparking up a conversation with the boy, telling himself he knew better than to get attached. As soon as they reached the Capitol, Eren would be free to live his life. He was probably keen to get back to normal living back in civilisation with whatever family he had waiting for him. 

Meanwhile, Eren snuck glances at the man from the corners of his eyes, taking a closer look at him when he could, without being caught of course. He caught a glimpse of the man's wrist, being able to make out a name tattooed there in a classic Ragakan handwriting style. _Isabel Farlan._ Who was she? Maybe his wife? A relative? Possible, considering the teen had never heard the Captain's surname. Eren was denied any further chance to evaluate the tattoo when Levi shifted his position and spoke up, eyes still forward on the large cat across the way.

"We need to keep moving before you get worse." 

Eren frowned as his time speaking with Levi was coming to an end as well as being reminded of his own impending muscle contractions. He still felt a little bit sore from his previous episodes. "How are you feeling?" Levi added, still not moving despite saying they needed to get going. Eren shrugged a little bit. His temperature had gone down after taking Petra's medicine and so he felt a little less woozy. 

"My temperature has gone down." He stated with a small shrug. To his surprise, Levi turned to him and leant over to place a hand on his forehead, holding it there for a moment. His hand felt cool against his skin and the palm was remarkably smooth, not hard or calloused as he had expected. He also found that Levi was incredibly gentle, his touch seemingly full of care and attention. He moved his hand to press the backs of his fingers against Eren's cheek as he looked the teenager up and down.

Eren felt his face flush slightly as the Captain's hand seemed to longer a moment longer than he'd expected, Hange successfully interrupting by yelling loudly over to the pair, only causing his cheeks to turn redder. "C'mon you two love birds! We don't have all day!" 

Before Eren's eyes, Levi's gentle gaze froze over and he glared icily to his side toward Hange as he felt his own cheeks burn with heat, clearly blushing again. To Eren's disappointment the dark haired man removed his cool hand from his cheek only to flip the squad leader off, following it up with a few colourful profanities that earned a few laughs from the team members. As Levi finished reprimanding Hange, he turned to look at Eren, his glare diminishing somewhat. 

"Come on Eren." He said softly as he walked toward the group. Just having the man say his name did strange things to his heart rate, making it stutter in his chest. In an attempt to look nonchalant, Eren took one last look at the jaguar relaxing in the warmth of the summer sun before getting up to join the rest. _Not long to go now._ He told himself. Not long until he was back home after almost seven years in captivity. After being beat, bruised and worked like a mule out of fear of death or attack or abuse of others before his eyes. 

Just as Eren got to the group he doubled over in pain as his entire right side locked up, his arm clenched against his side and his right leg tensing uncomfortably, forcing him to the ground where he lay on his side with his face pressed up against the dirt. He winced and closed his eyes, his neck muscles pulled so tight he could swear he heard things cracking and crunching. His vision went blurry for a moment with the pain and before he knew it he had Petra and Hange by his side who had evidently been the closest to him when he'd fallen. 

His eyes had clenched shut so during the muscle spasm he was only able to hear what was happening. He heard the Captain's voice barking into a radio and Petra's voice offering comforting reassurances to him. 

"Erwin, I don't care what you need to do, get me a drop _now_. There's a patch of open river about..." he paused and Eren heard what sounded like rustling, "four klicks south of here." 

A pause.

"Roger that." 

Another pause. Each interval felt like a lifetime to Eren as he waited to hear the next part. 

"I didn't come all this fucking way for him to die on us thanks to the military's piss poor attempt at med-kits."Levi continued.

"It's okay, Eren. Try to relax..." A female voice close by accompanied a soothing hand on his non-tense shoulder. 

"Mike get over here, think you can carry him?" 

"What about here, Sir?" 

"Eren..." 

The voices all merged into one at some stage, Eren couldn't pinpoint when or who was saying what. He opened his eyes and found himself in a new position. When had he even fallen asleep? Either way, he was now somehow upright, and he was moving... but he wasn't moving himself. His breathing was heavy and his fever had come back and he felt a warm mass up against his chest. He found himself effectively being given a piggy back ride by Mike and felt as if he were metres from the floor. The gentle jostling from Mike's footsteps made his head spin and his stomach turn. His rousing forced Mike to slow to a stop, who carefully placed Eren back to his feet. 

As soon as he was set down, Eren hunched over to the side and heaved, emptying the contents of his stomach. Once he was done he did feel better for having it out of his system, but he felt drained and tired. He stood up regardless, pushing through his discomfort. He was stubborn and refused to give up so easily.

"You good to go?" Mike asked. Those four words built what was probably the biggest sentence Eren had ever heard the man say. Eren nodded as he curled his toes slightly in his boots and attempted to stretch out. His body was sore from where his muscles along the right side of his shoulder, neck and arm felt tense and rigid. He wasn't able to stretch the right side as well as the left, having lost a considerable amount of flexibility. 

Petra soon approached with a flask of water and a pair more of the painkillers she'd given him earlier. They definitely worked to reduce his fever, which he was grateful for, so he swallowed them with haste. 

"Small sips, honey." Petra advised. Eren wasn't able to drink much as it was, just the feeling of the tablet on his tongue made him feel queasy. Mikasa appeared by his side, sticking close as they continued slowly. Eren was eventually able to pick his pace back up once the medication had taken effect. He still felt tense, it was just less uncomfortable without a fever.

The squad moved relatively quickly once Eren had regained his footing. As soon as the group had established their route and had a good idea of where they were going for the next few hours, Moblit fell back slightly to walk side by side with Eren and Mikasa, offering them both a slight smile. The pair looked up as he seemed to have approached with something he wanted to say. 

"I actually had tetanus once..." he began, laughing awkwardly as the two teens remained quiet. Eren seemed to be put at slight ease at the information being offered, since Moblit didn't appear to have any disabilities. 

"How long did it take to recover?" Eren asked. He didn't want to be unwell for longer than he needed to be. It was already serving to be a huge inconvenience to him (and his pride).

"Only about nine, ten days, as soon as I was treated. It's nothing serious. I think people just hear it as something bad because they've heard of people dying..." 

Eren shrugged. He'd never heard of the disease before so he didn't have any preconceptions or fears about what it _could_ do. "Is dying from it common?" he found himself asking anyway. Moblit shook his head. 

"No, not really. Most people are vaccinated against it these days so it's not all that common." 

"Oh. So I guess only the weak ones die from it." 

"Yeah you could say that. Young children or the elderly I guess. I'm not exactly a doctor though, so I don't know the specifics." Moblit added, seemingly having eased into their conversation a little bit. Eren saw no harm in speaking to him quietly so entertained him. He'd not travelled in Eren's patch of the squad much until now, so it was nice to get a new viewpoint on things. 

Eren picked Moblit's brain about a few things, such as his role within the squad, how he came to be a soldier and where he lived before then, until Levi shushed them. Moblit offered the pair a small smile before jogging up ahead again to meet back up with Hange, who had spent the last fifteen minutes on the radio to a control tower somewhere trying to get some sort of drop. 

Roughly an hour of silent hiking later, with no muscle spasms, the terrain had grown much flatter as they reached what was apparently their final mountain slope by foot. There was another peak some distance out, but they would need a good solid day to reach it. The Scouting squad would be able to enjoy some reasonably smooth moving until that point. Or so Eren thought. He'd reserve his thoughts of travel for tomorrow, since the sun was already below the mountains, drenching the valley in a cool blanket of twilight.

He expected that they would pause somewhere soon to set up camp before it became truly dark. What Eren wasn't expecting was to approach a part of the now much wider and deeper river which upon passing a slope in the landscape, Eren spotted a large dark green patch in the water that looked fairly out of place. It didn't resemble any river plants he'd seen before. Whatever it was it was dark and lay just along the surface of the water, seemingly trying to wash away downstream but unable to as it was attached to something much bigger sat on the dirt bank. 

As they got closer he realised that the large dark mass was the remnants of a parachute, which had been strapped to what looked like a dark green boat with wheels. The closer the squad moved to the craft, Eren realised that there were two of them, their parachutes coating a large portion of the river as they sat just on the banks. The automobiles looked heavy duty and were clearly large enough to accommodate roughly eight heads per boat. The closer they got, the bigger they looked. The large engines on the back suggested they would be fast, too. 

_Thank the heavens for that._ Eren thought with a relieved sigh. The sooner he got back to civilisation the better. He was growing impatient now that he was so close. Having just finished their ninth day, Eren could taste his freedom even more now than he could when the collar was removed what was now over a week ago. It felt like only yesterday as the boy rubbed his neck where the contraption had been buckled. 

"Alright everyone, we'll set up over in those trees. We leave at first light, first thing tomorrow morning, so get your asses to sleep early today." Levi told everyone. They all saluted and briskly went toward the trees to begin setting up the hammocks. A hand on Eren's shoulder stopped him from joining the others and he turned to find Levi stood watching the squad go. 

"Let them do it. Take it easy." He said. Eren frowned at him and gave him a look as if to ask whether he was serious. 

"Can't I help with _anything_?" Eren asked the older man. He looked up at him with his usual look of expressionless evaluation. He hummed and shook his head. 

"No." 

Eren grumbled as the Captain left him on the small shore and sat on a dried out log, watching as the team set up the hammocks. His whole body felt hot and achy so he scooted forward onto the soft ground below the log and leant back against the wood, attempting to gain any comfort possible. The team would be done setting up camp in about twenty minutes, so all he'd have to do is sit there. 

At some point he must have closed his eyes, because he felt the soft fuzzy feeling of sleep surrounding him. He couldn't recall dreaming anything aside from perhaps his brain repeating the events of the last few days, but he was startled awake as soon as he felt a hand on his shoulder he'd not realised was there before. He desperately scrambled away from the hand and in the dark his eyes managed to focus enough to make out Mikasa's concerned face. 

"It's just me." Mikasa said as a matter of fact. She offered a hand out to him and he took it, allowing her to help him up. 

"The hammocks are ready." She said as Eren stretched out slowly, taking in his surroundings again as if reminding himself of where he was. Eren mumbled something to her and nodded, allowing her to lead him over and into a hammock. He felt too exhausted to give a damn about his pride in that moment. 

Once morning arrived Eren was awoken whilst it was still dark, confusing him slightly until he realised that it was the squad who had woken up just before sunrise to pack and prepare the boats so they could leave on time for first light. They took Levi's words as law, obeying them to a tee. It was impressive, Eren thought as he tiredly pulled himself out of his hammock, only to land on the ground, his right side muscles erupting in pain as soon as he went to move. 

Groaning in frustration through gritted teeth, he lay there on the dry dirt waiting out the muscle contractions. No one seemed to have noticed him fall and it wasn't as if he could call for help with his jaw clenched immovably shut. He opted to lay in silence and wait it out. His neck had tensed into such a position that it had pulled his head to the right, forcing his gaze along the flat ground. He could hear the jungle finishing it's gentle night song and beginning it's morning symphony. He could also see the soldiers down by the water packing their rucksacks and gear into the two aquatic jeeps. 

The two jeeps had had the parachutes removed from them and hauled from the river to be folded neatly, likely under the Captain's orders. Eren didn't catch any sights of the man himself but didn't feel at all concerned. Until he heard a noise directly behind him which was unmistakably the hiss and subtle clattering from that of a scorpion. Eren had experienced enough run-ins with the little bastards to know one when he heard one. They were almost like ants. Everywhere. 

He attempted to test his arm and neck for mobility should the noise get any closer but each time he went to move it, every interconnecting and linked muscle burnt with pain, rendering him immobile again. He let out a whimpering noise and looked around as far as his peripheral vision would permit. He couldn't hear any footsteps or rustling anywhere near him within the tree lines and there was a lot of movement down by the river, so he concluded everyone must be down there. It was still too dark to make out faces but there were at least more than ten figures down there. 

"Fuck" he muttered out through gritted teeth as he felt spindly, spiked feet crawling over the bare skin of his left arm. Not knowing how many scorpions were behind him he opted to keep still, understanding they would likely get bored once they realised he was of no threat. Unless they were feeling particularly evil. Eren felt six small prickly feet walking curiously across his skin, followed by a few more feet by his fingers on his right hand. 

_Just peachy. The one time I can't move and it's on the fucking forest floor covered with fucking scorpions._

Eren groaned internally, not wanting to make any actual noise with sensitive, potentially deadly creepy crawlies inspecting him. He felt a sudden whoosh of air across his face, a light pattering of footsteps and suddenly the scorpions were removed from his arms and body. 

"Shit, little fuckers. Piss off. He's mine." Someone out of sight hissed and cursed under their breath. Judging by the amount of profanities it could only have been Levi and Eren felt his body relax slightly as his muscle contractions eased up. It was still too painful to move though, so he remained on the hard ground with his neck still turned toward the riverbank. A black pair of boots moved in front of Eren's face but the boy didn't have the energy to look up. 

"You alright?" He asked, the boots shifting as the man crouched down to sit on his heels. Eren was left with nothing but a pair of boots and a crotch in his eyesight. Now was not the time for any further involuntary muscle spasms, Eren reminded himself, his fever hiding what would be a faint pink tint at remembering what he'd seen in the river. From what he'd glanced at, the man seemed well endowed, and having said piece of his body this close to his face made his gay little heart do backflips. He groaned and closed his eyes at his own inability to control his thoughts. 

Levi's voice dipped lower, laced with concern. "Hey, hey.. Eren?" 

Shit. Eren realised he'd probably mistaken his pathetic internal conflict for physical pain, so was quick to open his eyes and make an attempt to look up at the man. 

"I'm-" 

"Fine?" Levi finished his all-too-common statement. Eren frowned as he was helped into a seated position. 

"Thanks." He mumbled, feeling exhausted from the now almost constant pain in his muscles. He brought his knees up and rested his forehead on them, going limp from the top up, his body and mind completely fed up with the illness. 

"Come on. There's water in the boats. If we leave soon I can have you on a chopper by nightfall." 

That made Eren sit up. "So soon?" He asked in disbelief. Levi nodded and helped him to his feet, keeping a hand on the teen's waist just in case he wasn't able to support his own weight. For a moment Eren hoped he couldn't, simply to maintain the gentle touch, but as soon as he did, Levi's hand was gone, although still close. _Just in case._

"Yeah," was all the raven haired man offered, gesturing for him to move toward the jeeps as he dismantled Eren's hammock on his behalf. Eren trudged toward the jeeps noticing that the squad were starting to file in, split into two teams. In the already-full jeep ahead was Mike, Darius, Nanaba, Luke, Dita, Moblit, Oluo and Gunter. They were sat two in front, Mike driving and Moblit navigating and the rest sat in the pick-up truck style rear of the boat.

The second jeep was still on the shore, but the engine was running with an empty drivers seat. In the front Eld sat in the passenger's side holding a GPS and Hange had a boot leant against the side of the driver's door tightening their boot laces. In the back was sat Mikasa and Petra alongside a large collection of rucksacks. As he approached, Levi not far behind, Petra patted the seat next to her and Hange yelled over a chirpy "good morning, sunshine!" to Eren. 

"Good morning, Hange." Was the lacklustre response.

"Has Levi told you?" 

"Huh?" 

"We're gonna be home by this time tomorrow!" They smiled broadly at the brunet who took a seat next to Petra on the free side of the jeep that wasn't occupied by bags. Hange had stepped into the driver's seat and moved the vehicle closer to the water, waiting for their officer. 

"How are you feeling?" Petra asked softly. Mikasa wasted no time in adding "you look like hell." 

Eren almost laughed. "I feel like hell," he admitted honestly. He felt like if given half a chance, he'd sleep all day. The jeep dipped slightly and Eren's attention turned up to Levi who took a seat opposite, nodding at Hange who proceeded to drive out into the water. Levi dropped the engine into the water and it fired up, moving onwards behind the first boat. 

The brunet found his head spinning and his guts turning once they'd been in movement for about half an hour. He spent the next twenty minutes with his head over the side of the boat with Mikasa rubbing soothing circles into his lower back. Levi had shifted a few things around in the back of the jeep and had positioned some of the rucksacks completely flat and laid a roll out mat over the top to offer some cushioning. 

Once Eren had stopped heaving up the remnants of bile from the depths of his digestive system, Petra offered him a sip of water with a few more painkillers. He took them without protest and was ushered onto the makeshift bed, lying flat on his back. As soon as he hit the deck so to speak, his eyes were shut and he slept as if he'd been deprived of it entirely for weeks. The codeine in his painkillers helped to send him to sleep reasonably quickly and he didn't toss or turn at all whilst sleeping.

Levi sat back against the bench-style seating and crossed one leg over the other along with his arms. He kept a close eye on where they were going and Hange kept reasonably quiet, knowing Eren was sleeping. How he could sleep through the loud sound of the engine and the wind whipping past the boat, Levi did not know. Hange's driving was also far from smooth. They had reached a much lower course of the river and now the banks had been entirely engulfed by trees and the mountains were long behind them. 

The river would twist and turn at occasional intervals but Hange was able to maintain a reasonably fast speed throughout the straight shots between bends. The river was wide and deep now, the water turning a deep blue colour where the bottom disappeared from sight. There were still an abundance of animals out here, ranging from the occasional flock of coloured birds or troop of monkeys near the water to large families of flamingo. There were small fishes that would hop out from the surface of the water, catching insects or dust that lingered too close to the surface. Levi also spotted the ridged backs of a few smaller caiman sleeping in the morning sun and the occasional dolphin playfully riding their waves along the way.

He stretched his arms out and pulled a tie from his flask vest, tugging the hair that had been flapping in his face out of his eyes and into a small ponytail, allowing the wind to whip around his undercut fuzz instead. It was getting long again. He made a mental note to get it done once they were back in the city. He'd take Eren with him if he were allowed. The kid's hair was a rat's nest, almost reaching his shoulders. Chances are he didn't have it cut often and whenever he did, it would seem he'd probably just have a ponytail cut off judging by the shape of the last cut.

Levi rested his head back against the hand rail and Petra smiled slightly at him whilst Mikasa spent most of her time quietly looking concerned about Eren, whose fingers looked uncomfortably rigid on the right side, clenched into a fist with his hand twisted back onto the wrist. The boy's back arched up off the makeshift bed and Mikasa and Petra both moved to help him onto his side, taking the weight from his neck. He still had his eyes closed and Levi simply watched as Petra did everything she could for him, checking he was still breathing well.

He was glad they were almost back. The boy had refused any food for the last couple of days, being unable to keep much beyond water in his stomach. He wouldn't get better without a hospital and since they were being picked up by the military, chances are they'd take him to the military trauma bay. He left Petra and Mikasa by Eren's side as they waited for the spasm to calm down and stuck his head between Hange and Eld. 

"Status report?" 

Eld looked up from his GPS and informed Levi of their location and distance from the pickup point. They would have another seven hours of travelling before reaching their destination. He was glad that they'd finally picked up their vehicle drop and were making faster progress now and despite never wanting to admit it out loud, Levi was worried about Eren. He understood the boy's importance to Erwin, on more levels than one, so dearly hoped the boy would pull through and that they'd get him to a hospital in time before he stopped breathing or broke any bones. 

Fortunately the kid seemed tough as an old pair of boots and he was only really having spasms in his right arm, side and shoulders, but the neck, back and chest spasms were concerning him with their closeness to his spinal column, lungs and throat. The last thing this kid needed was to be kidnapped and then become a fucking paraplegic on the last day. 

Hearing the object of his thoughts yelp out in pain behind him, Levi snapped his attention back toward the trio in the rear of the boat and noticed Eren cradling his right arm against his chest as he curled into the foetal position, head pressed against Petra's midsection. 

"The fuck happened?" 

Petra gently pulled up Eren's sleeve on the arm he was holding, only for there to be a growing red mark on the back of the arm just above the elbow that would surely bruise. Upon pressing a finger to that spot, Eren cried out in agony, forcing Petra to not touch it again as the tears streamed down his tanned cheeks. Even Eld and Hange looked over their shoulders to find out what was happening.

"Hange eyes forward and put your fucking foot down already!" 

Petra took advantage of Eren's immobility to wrap a bandage firmly around his arm to compress any damage that may have just happened. Her fingers dipped into a small indentation just above his elbow when she was wrapping so she frowned softly. "Sir?"

"Petra." 

"He's pulled his tricep. It could be torn but I really can't tell." 

Levi paused to look over the now limp boy. His breathing was heavy and he was sweating all over as Petra held his arm elevated above his chest. 

"What can we do about it?" 

Petra shrugged. "Not a lot, Sir. The best we can do is give him painkillers." 

"You don't have a single muscle relaxant in that entire medical kit?" Levi asked, as if they'd not already looked.

"Not one, Sir. I'm sorry." 

Levi groaned in frustration as they could effectively do nothing for the boy until he reached the hospital. Given the details that were going to be referenced in his report of this mission, there would be one or two individuals in supplies losing their jobs back home for this mishap. He'd make sure of it. An idea struck him. 

"What about the jeep?" He asked. Petra perked up and looked up at him, concern for Eren's wellbeing still etched into her features. Her expression softened into one of realisation as Levi pointed out for Mikasa to unhook the medical kit from beneath her seat and hand it to him. She looked just as worried as Petra did. Levi took the medical kit and flung it open, digging through the layers of gauzes and bandages to the small compartment at the bottom full of bottles and syringes. Levi had only noticed that his chest felt tight as soon as it relaxed upon seeing the small section of medications. 

"What am I looking for?" Levi asked Petra as she stayed by Eren's side, sat on the floor of the boat. She remained silent and listened intently as he read out the labels on the small bottles one by one. 

"Tetracycline?" 

"No." 

"Penicillin?" 

"No."

"Ipecac syrup? The fuck is this?" Levi held out a small dark green glass bottle with an image of a puking baby on it. 

"Not that one. It induces vomiting. Look for-" 

"Diazepam?" The pair said in unison, one in question, the other in confirmation. 

"Yes!" Petra smiled brightly, taking the bottle and a packaged syringe from Levi's hand. She was quick to act before Eren's next muscle spasm and shot close to a full syringe of the liquid into the boy's left arm.

"That'll keep him calm until we get him back. At least he should be able to sleep now..." Petra said whilst Levi packed up the medical kit, keeping it out just in case they should need it. Other than their short episode dealing with Eren's tetanus, the pair of boats travelled smoothly for the entire day. It was refreshing to feel a cool breeze against their skin instead of hot, stagnant and muggy air of the forest floor and it was even better not having to swat mosquitos away every five seconds. 

The teams had their lunches in the jeeps, including the drivers as they continued further south down the river towards their destination. They had been in the river for roughly seven solid hours as the two amphibious jeeps drove up out of the water and onto solid ground. The skies were close to raining again so they all got their ponchos at the ready, only to slip them on just in time for the clouds to unleash their worst. Eren didn't stir once as the jeeps clattered and jostled against the uneven terrain, the two drivers following a more well used dirt road.

Mikasa primarily kept her eyes on Eren. She was worried about him and felt helpless to do anything. Levi felt much the same, even if he'd never admit it out loud. He had told himself he was worried because of the boy's importance to Erwin and his old military friend who had connections to the boy somehow. He couldn't remember the details exactly but Erwin knew someone who knew someone who may have known the boy years ago. A neighbour or something. Not recalling the details was playing at Levi's mind for the entire trip. He would have at least been able to give the kid a familiar name.

Oh well, he'd be out of the jungle soon anyway. 

Moblit's arms started waving Hange to slow down as they drove out into a large open patch of land between the trees. It was at the base of their final mountain, only on the far side from the city instead of the closer side as originally planned. Eren was a ticking time bomb that Levi didn't want to see go off.

Everyone cheered when they pulled up to a stop, as a decent sized dark green helicopter swung around the mountain in the near distance. Levi was quick to prompt Petra to prepare Eren for travel. He was still dead weight with the tranquillisers they'd given him hours ago. He'd probably sleep straight through the apocalypse if it struck there and then. The group of soldiers filed out from their respective jeeps and started to unload the equipment after a quick stretch after having travelled solid for the entire day without moving. 

Levi heard a crackle in his earpiece and smiled as a familiar voice chimed in. 

"Squad Levi, this is the Historia on approach. Nifa from squad four speaking. Good to see you're all still alive, over." 

"Good to hear from you too. I see you brought the party." Levi replied on behalf of his squad. 

Two additional, slightly larger crafts followed the people carrier's tail, following along to pick up the two jeeps. They didn't have the luxury of time for a chat, so the squad quickly helped a pair of paramedics out from their helicopter and over to Eren and Mikasa. Mikasa was walked quickly over to the first, smaller helicopter whereas the paramedics had to have a quick walking word with Petra first for an update on Eren's condition. Levi agreed that Petra would accompany Eren back to the hospital and update him once he'd been stabilised. 

As soon as Eren, Mikasa and Petra were in the medical chopper, it took off leaving Levi and his squad in the field to be taken home by the remaining two helicopters. Levi made a mental note to at least go and visit the boy to see for himself he was cared for appropriately. 

The helicopter took about forty minutes to travel back to the city and Mikasa watched from her window as they crossed the final mountain which allowed her to see the large river separating the jungle from the Capitol. It was strange seeing built up areas after so many years in the wilderness, but she was primarily focused on the paramedics setting Eren up with a set of various monitors. Petra spent most of the trip informing them of the details of how he'd contracted the disease and how far along he'd gone, up until the tranquillisers she ended up using. 

They touched down shortly after onto a dirt helipad somewhere just outside the main city. It looked like some sort of military base judging by all of the uniformed soldiers marching in formations. A white-clad medical team was on-site to greet the chopper, complete with an ambulance nearby. The Historia's team as well as the ground medical team wasted no time in transferring both Eren, Mikasa and Petra into the ambulance to relocate them to the hospital where Eren could finally receive treatment. 

For the time being, the two teenagers were kept together. Mikasa didn't particularly want to leave the country on these terms as it was, not at least without a proper farewell when Eren was conscious. She was given a bed beside Eren's and was looked over by a nurse while Eren was given the same attention elsewhere. Two hours later he was wheeled into the room accompanied by two nurses and a doctor in a long white coat, a collection of IV drips attached to his left arm. 

"Hello Mikasa. How are you feeling?" The doctor asked. She hummed and nodded, more interested in checking Eren over. She'd spent the majority of her waiting time worried about what might possibly go wrong.

"He'll be absolutely fine," the man said, as if being able to understand the worry on her face as she looked at the sleeping boy. "His convulsions should stop now and we've given him some antibiotics to fight off the virus, as well as vaccinated him against it for the future."

Mikasa was relieved. They had also shot her full of various fluids too, claiming they were vaccinations. She didn't feel any different afterwards, so shrugged it off and let them do their thing. At that moment Eren roused from his sleep, opening his eyes a fraction before squinting them shut again. The pale blue, washable paint on the walls reflected every piece of light from the lamps overhead, making it feel much brighter than it was. When Eren awoke he could hear Mikasa's voice which put him to an instant sense of ease. 

"Eren, how do you feel?" He felt a hand squeeze his own. He smiled softly. He felt safe. 

Finally. He felt safe. 

He opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out aside from a quiet sob, his grin widening. The hand around his own tightened it's grip. He felt so elated it was unbearable. The doctor allowed the pair a moment and moved just outside to dim the lights. Eren took a moment in the new lighting to open his eyes and get used to being awake. He didn't remember much aside from laying down in the back of the jeep. It hadn't been comfortable but then he recalled waking up just now on something far more comfortable. 

"Mikasa," he mumbled.

"Yes? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" She sounded like her usual concerned self but all Eren could do was grin from ear to ear. It was almost overwhelming how relieved he felt. His entire body warmed with the sensation and he didn't really know what to do with it, how to act, what to say. He was speechless for a moment before he told her "we're finally back." 

"Heh, yeah," Mikasa agreed, also growing teary as she experienced the same feelings. A sense of freedom for the first time in years. They sat together in the quiet of the room, taking in the occasional footsteps walking past outside the dim lit room or distant beeping noises. Everything was foreign but in a strangely welcoming way. 

The paint, the walls, the furniture, the smells, the sounds, the soft clean sheets. _Oh_ the clean sheets. The clean hospital gown. Clean water, readily available food if he so desired sat on his bedside table. 

"We're safe..." he mumbled softly, unable to stop smiling. 

The two teens smiled fondly at one another as they heard the door re-open and the doctor made his way back in, clip board in hand. The pair looked up with goofy smiles still on their faces, and Eren's instantly fell from his face. Mikasa looked up at what he was looking at but could see nothing different aside from the doctor that had seen him in earlier. She looked back at Eren and blinked at his next words, looking almost as confused and as shocked as he did. 

"... _Dad?_ "


	9. Grisha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheeky Grisha PoV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dunno how I feel about this chapter. Not much happens other than Grisha and Nile bromancing and Erwin being Commander handsome. *shrug*
> 
> Also tags have updated.

Grisha gave Carla a peck on the cheek, gently stroking her hair as he moved away to collect his doctor's bag. 

"I love you honey, I'll be home tomorrow afternoon if everything goes according to plan."

Carla smiled and moved around the kitchen table to tend to Eren's breakfast. It was the weekend so he wouldn't be going to school. If Grisha's appointment went according to plan and there were no complications with the birth then he'd be home in time for Sunday lunch with his family. That was quite possibly his most favourite part of the week. Carla's dumplings and gravy were by far the best in Shiganshina. 

"See you when I get home!" He called from the door, hearing two acknowledging farewells from his wife and son. It was a pleasantly warm morning and the rain clouds hadn't started to form yet, so he'd make it to the next village over with plenty of time before the afternoon rain. The family he was visiting had called late last night informing him the midwife would be there first thing in the morning to induce. By the time he'd arrive, they would be full swing into the labour making his stay reasonably short. He would travel back in the evening if everything went quickly, but the family had a history of particularly long labours. He planned in accordance that this one should be no different.

He decided that since the next village over was only three miles from Shiganshina, he would walk it. It should only take forty-five minutes and he always had enjoyed the outdoors rather than cars or buses. 

"Hello Doctor Yeager" the old man, head of the household next door, called from his porch next door. He gave a wave and smiled. Grisha returned the gesture with a nod and a smile. As he walked past a few houses, he stopped by one in particular and knocked on the door. It took a moment, but a young blonde boy answered the door and smiled brightly upon seeing the Doctor at his door. 

"Oh hello!" the boy chirped. "Mum and dad have gone out, I'll go get grandpa." He said, running off into the house somewhere. Grisha was well acquainted with this household so stepped through into the house and closed the door behind himself. The boy came running back with a smile on his face. 

"How are you, Armin?" Grisha asked. 

"Oh, I'm okay, how are you and Mrs Yeager?" he asked politely. 

"Quite fine, thank you. Are you looking forward to seeing Eren tomorrow at dinner?" Grisha asked, crouching down to Armin's height with a soft smile. At the mention of the boy's best friend he positively beamed, almost hopping on the spot as his grandpa came into the hall to greet Grisha. 

"I can't wait!" the blonde boy exclaimed, calming himself down as soon as he realised his grandfather was beside him, resting a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. Grisha stood upon seeing the old man, pulling his bag out in front of him and unfastening it to gain access to it's contents. 

"Good morning, Grisha," the old man greeted. "I have just made some tea, won't you join us?" 

"Oh, it sounds wonderful but I am already on my way to a birth, so I'd best make it quick. There's no telling how long it could take so I wanted to drop your prescription by before I left." 

"Ah, thank you. I hope everything goes well. Is it anyone we know?" 

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, it's the Dawks in the next village over. Do you know them?" 

The old man shrugged but smiled nonetheless at the prospect of new life. Grisha handed him his package and bid him a farewell, giving Armin a quick pat on the head saying he'd see them both tomorrow at lunch. He would call ahead if he were running late but assured them it would be unlikely. 

With all farewells said and business tended to, Grisha headed out from the Arlert household and headed his way out from Shiganshina and down a well-driven, wide dirt road between the bee hive plots and further out, the crop fields. There was a gentle breeze from the large river which granted a small amount of respite from the warm morning sun, making the walk extraordinarily pleasant. 

Occasionally a van, bus or horse-drawn farm vehicle would drive or trot past, it's driver giving Grisha a friendly wave or a tip of their hat. Grisha would smile in return and wave too. The villagers lived a slightly simpler lifestyle than the city dwellers and the people tended to be more open and friendly with one another, spending more time together. They all worked the same shifts and worked in very similar fields, some literally, so everyone knew everyone. It made a change from the city life in Karanese that Grisha was so used to, but he had since welcomed and embraced it in full. He wouldn't change his life for the world. He could say with honesty that he was deeply content. 

He walked on down the dirt road until he started to come pass a few more simple palm-thatched buildings, eventually landing him into the main residential area of the next village over. He swiftly located the correct household, having been before multiple times throughout the wife's pregnancy, and knocked on the door. 

A young man in perhaps his early thirties, Nile, opened the door looking flustered and hot. His hair was a mess and it looked as if he'd been running his hands through it all morning. It had just turned nine in the morning and the midwife would have induced Nile's wife Marie, at about six. Once he arrived, Nile led him to the living room where the midwife had everything set up with Marie sat on the sofa, eyes closed and hands resting on her bump. She was doing her controlled breathing, so as to get through her current contractions. The midwife informed Grisha that she was only four centimetres dilated after six hours, so Nile offered to take him through to the kitchen for a mug of tea or coffee. Grisha opted for tea. 

"How has it been? You look tired," Grisha remarked with a hint of mirth in his eyes as he grinned at the to-be father. Nile smiled back at him, looking exactly as the Doctor had commented: tired. 

"Well, they say you have to say goodbye to sleep as soon as you have children. I'm just getting a head start..." He paused to take a sip from his own mug of what looked and smelt like strong, black coffee. "It's exciting." He finished with. Grisha simply nodded at him, completely understanding where he was coming from. Eren had been a handful when he was born although Carla's labour was only six hours or so from start to finish. For all the sleepless nights he wouldn't change a thing. 

Before anything significant happened with Marie, the two men had about two hours to catch up between themselves, speaking about life in general, work, home lives and the likes. Grisha shared what it was like travelling between patients and Nile was working his way up in the military. He had been chosen upon graduation to join the Military Police in the Capitol, but opted to work alongside the Garrison so he'd be stationed closer to his family. 

"So the General personally requested I work for him in the Capitol..." Nile started, scratching his chin and sitting back into his seat at the table, his coffee long since finished. 

"That's great. Are you going to take the job? They've been after you in the Capitol for years now." 

"You know, with all the Titan raids that have been happening lately, and the baby on it's way, Marie and I spoke about it... we may actually go. You know? Relocate completely." Nile shrugged. He wanted to stay near his family and friends such as Grisha, since they were close, but he couldn't deny the impending rebel threat. He didn't want to endanger his family. 

"You should take it. I hear the benefits are good." Grisha reasoned. Having recently had a raid in Shiganshina, he couldn't deny it was an amazing opportunity for security. "You can still visit." He added. Nile was nodding along. He had clearly already made his choice. "What was the job anyway?" Grisha asked.

"Captain."

"Oho, second in command of the entire division, eh?" Grisha snickered a little, grinning at his friend who smiled with a shrug. "Well I'd rather you lead that group of slackers than anyone else they've got." 

"Yeah, it'd be good to whip them into shape. It'll be tough though... it's a cash operated system in the Capitol." 

"Mmh," Grisha agreed, not agreeing with the practices they were discussing. "It's certainly not a bribe-free zone there. The corruption has only gotten worse." 

"Yeah. Well, hopefully I'll be able to do something about that." 

"Yeah." 

The two men sat in silence aside from the gentle hum from the radio in the background, which was reporting the news of various common sightings of rebels followed by a few political pieces, followed by the weather. None of which were news, simply the same information repeated. Increasing drug activity, increasing corruption, normal hot temperatures and rain. The only consistent thing in Ragako was the weather, at least it had that going for it.

"You want another tea?" Nile asked, getting up to pour himself a coffee. Grisha nodded and handed his mug over to Nile across the table who was propping the now full kettle back onto the stove.

"So you thinking of having any more kids, Grisha?" Nile asked. Grisha gave him a nonchalant shrug. 

"Carla seems happy with just Eren. We've got the neighbourhood over practically every week so I'd say our hands are full. I wouldn't mind, though. We have the means to support another mouth." 

"Ah. How are the... Arlerts? Was it?" Nile asked, trying to recall Grisha's stories of the neighbours.

"They are well. Their son is quite the bright spark, but he's probably been spending a little bit too much time around Eren. The pair of them seem adamant on joining the military when they're older. I can't complain though, that boy would make an excellent strategist. He beats even me at chess." 

"Now there's a feat! How old is this boy again?" Nile mocked his friend.

"He's only five months younger than Eren. They're in the same class."

"Bested by a nine-year-old. That's my man, Grisha." Nile laughed. Grisha fondly smiled too until the pair heard another, particularly loud groan of pain from Marie in the other room. 

"I suppose we'd best get on with our jobs." Grisha announced, taking his fresh cup of tea from Nile, the two men getting up and moving through to the other room where the midwife had Nile's wife laid out on a futon, legs spread and checking how far she was dilated. 

"We're almost ready, gents." She announced, giving Marie's ankle a gentle squeeze. "Nine centimetres. Another few contractions and we'll be ready to introduce your new son or daughter." 

Grisha let himself to his doctor's bag and opened it up, removing a few items such as gloves and a few tools they may need should this turn into an emergency caesarean. It wouldn't be uncommon if the mother was in labour for too long, she would be too tired to push, thus needing to extract the baby manually. The plan was that Grisha would not really need to assist all that much, leaving the majority to the midwife. He was on standby, should anything outside of the expected occur. Even if he wasn't needed in the end, he understood that Nile appreciated another male presence in the process. He'd had the most stressful nine months of his life, having to deal with all of Marie's female friends, midwives, relatives and neighbours doting on her almost every day. 

It was only seven hours later that the couple's first daughter was born. They ran into a little bit of trouble when realising they'd missed that she was going to enter this world feet-first, but in the end everything was okay. The couple wanted to get to know her a little bit first before choosing a name, so Grisha would have to get an update from Nile another time as to what they called her. For the meantime, the midwife and Grisha had stabilised mother and child and even soothed Nile back to consciousness when he'd passed out at the sight of the afterbirth. The room was cleaned, the fire put on and Nile invited Grisha to stay for a little while, since it was only about six in the evening. He agreed, Nile made drinks and Marie cradled their newborn and slept lightly as the men put the television on for a short while. 

"Let's see what's going on in the world, eh?" The faint pop of gunshots was not uncommon this close to the river, so when a few shots went off in what sounded like the far distance, they all thought nothing of it. As soon as Nile flicked over to the news however, Grisha's smile dropped in a heartbeat. 

"Reports have seen aggressive rebel activity in the Shiganshina area this afternoon." The reporter was stood in a burning street that Grisha recognised in an instant. It appeared to have been in the aftermath of another raid, a few buildings on fire with injured people in the background. He shot to his feet, Nile looking at him with concern.

"Nile, Marie. I wish you all the best with your daughter. I will be in touch as soon as I can be." 

"I'll drive you." 

Grisha could not argue. He nodded and the two men left to Nile's truck not before Nile removed his shotgun from a cabinet and slipped on his rose-embroidered Garrison jacket. They got in and Nile put the old banger into gear and headed down the dimming dirt track toward Grisha's home. The closer they drove, the more worried Grisha grew. There were people in the streets, women crying and disturbed households everywhere. There was no sight of any rebel, only their aftermath. He'd assumed that since they raided them not so long ago, they would have time to recover before the next. He assumed incorrectly. 

Nile pulled up through the streets and Grisha already had the door open and was out of the truck before it had even stopped. 

"Grisha, wait!" Nile called after him as the man ran into his house, the door already wide open. A tall blonde man ran up to Nile and he recognised the man as a Garrison soldier. The man saluted and he waved his hand dismissively. 

"What happened here?" Nile asked.

"Seems they came to finish off the job after their last one while the village was still recovering. They were in and out before we could stop them. They're still pursuing them at the river. Most got away, though." The man explained. 

"Alright..." Nile sighed. As much as he'd love to be at home with his wife, these people needed him. "What's your name, soldier?" 

"Hannes, Sir." 

"Alright Hannes, have the medical services been alerted?" 

"Yes, Sir. ETA of one minute."

"Then help with Grisha, I'll go make some calls. We'll need all the help we can get with the injured and we need to start logging who's missing." Nile ordered, frowning slightly at the sight around him. Shiganshina was a mess. Villagers were attempting to hose down their homes, there was blood in the streets and a faint sound of gunfire in the background beyond the plumes of smoke rising above the village. 

Hannes ran into the house beside Nile's truck to try to locate the Doctor, but all he encountered was a disturbed, messy house. Cupboards had been opened, emptied and left open. Drawers had been pulled from their units and left on the floor. Grisha's medicine cabinet had been smashed open and emptied completely aside from a few gauzes and bandages lying on the floorboards. 

There was an untouched, unspilled mug of milk on the kitchen table. 

"Doctor Yeager?" Hannes called out. There was no answer, so he made his way through to the back of the house and up the stairs, turning the first corner to find Grisha sat slumped on the floor over what could only have been Carla's body. He'd leant over her, stroking the hair from her blood-caked face. There was also another pair of bodies in the room, unmistakably Titans. She must have put up a fight. Grisha's head shot up and he turned to look around at Hannes, panic in his eyes. 

"Have you seen Eren?" he asked.

"Uh, no?" Hannes realised then what was most likely to have happened to the boy. "Perhaps he is with a neighbour?" he tried to reassure the man, despite his own doubts. 

"Hmm. Perhaps. I will ask next door and over at the Arlert's." He got up to leave. Hannes perked an eyebrow.

"What about Carla?" 

"There's nothing I can do for her now. There will be others who need my skills." He said with a grave tone, expression serious. Hannes understood and allowed him to pass. He himself then moved on to assist wherever he could whilst Grisha went on the small search for his son. 

The neighbour's front door was also wide open. Grisha didn't bother knocking as he entered, simply calling out any names who may respond. Nothing. He checked the entire house, with no response from any room. He made his way through the streets as he'd done exactly the same the previous morning and let himself into the Arlert's household. Armin was being cradled by his grandfather as a paramedic was performing CPR on his mother, his father already dead on the other side of the room, shot. 

Upon seeing Grisha, Armin shuffled out from his grandpa's grasp and ran over to hug Grisha's legs. 

"Hello Armin," Grisha did his best to soothe the boy, gently patting his head and stroking his hair. "Have you seen Eren at all?" The boy noticeably tensed under his hand, loosening his hug, his arms falling to his sides limply. 

"Mum and dad tried to stop them..." he started, breaking into a sob. Grisha leant over to give the boy a proper hug, which after a long few moments seemed to calm him down. As soon as Grisha pulled away, the paramedic shook his head slowly at Grisha behind the boy's back, indicating that Armin's mother hadn't survived. Grisha gently led the boy through to another room while she was covered with a sheet. 

"Armin, did the rebels take Eren away?" Grisha asked softly. The boy hiccupped as he tried reigning in his tears and nodded swiftly. 

"And your parents tried to stop them?" Another nod. 

"Was he alive?" Armin nodded again, wiping the tears away from his cheeks despite new ones falling immediately afterwards. 

"Yeah. He was..." Armin confirmed verbally. Grisha hummed, keeping his worry contained for the time being. Much like previous raids he had been the village's rock so to speak. Their anchor. Despite his own conflicting emotions, he had to keep it together for Armin's sake. His grandfather seemed to be in a state of fairly unresponsive shock and would be of no use to the boy. 

"Armin. Listen to me now," Grisha started. Armin sniffled and looked up at the bespectacled man as he adjusted his ponytail, retying it. "I need to take care of any other people who could have got hurt. I need you to help me, is that something you can do?" 

Armin meekly turned to look over his shoulder and looked back to nod. "Yes?" He responded with a hint of uncertainty. "What do you need me to do?" He said a moment later, steeling himself and tensing as he focused to what he was about to be told. 

"I need you to take care of your grandpa for a while. Just until I get back. Okay? Get him into bed, get him a drink of water and make sure he takes his medicine. Just like normal." 

"Oh, o-okay." Armin nodded. "I can do that." 

"Good. I will come back in a few hours, just to check up on you."

The boy nodded and Grisha made his way out into the village. He assisted where he could into the late evening, helping primarily with gunshot wounds and bullet removals. The death rates from this raid were quite low, although having known everyone in the village prior, Grisha was still familiar with every face he encountered devoid of life and spattered with blood. 

He grit his teeth and buried his sadness and anger, forcing himself into composure for the sake of others. A choice he would repeat for years to come. 

In the days following, Grisha had phoned every branch of the Garrison whilst staying with the Arlerts and Nile had apparently sent messages to the city to inform the military headquarters of Eren's disappearance. A total of fourteen children had been kidnapped, but the reports had come through saying that the rebel boats containing these captives split into multiple directions as they left the mainland and powered upland into the jungle. Eren could have been anywhere in Ragako, judging by the reports. Grisha felt weak and helpless to do anything. 

Funerals were held and tears were shed and life moved on. Grisha restored the house to it's former glory after having stayed with the Arlerts for the first week, just to ensure Armin's grandfather was okay to look after the boy. Not that he wasn't completely independent enough already. It was likely more to ensure they could look after each other. The whole thing had brought the three closer together in ways they'd never thought it could. They still spent their family time together each week, but a large portion of it felt empty and irreplaceable. 

It was only after three months with no word from Nile regarding Eren's whereabouts, that Grisha decided to pick up the phone. 

"Hello?" 

"Good morning Nile, it's Grisha." 

"Oh, hello old friend, how are you?" 

"You know, as well as can be." 

"How are the Arlerts?" 

"They are just fine. Armin says hello." 

"Ah, tell him I say hello back." Grisha put his hand on the receiver and directed his attention to the boy on his left.

"Nile says hello." He informed Armin. He smiled up at Grisha before returning his nose back to his book. 

"Anyway Nile, I wanted to ask you a question." 

"Fire away, Grisha." 

"What are the chances of me enlisting to the Survey Corps at my age?" 

There was a noticable pause on the end of the line before Nile spoke back up. He took Grisha's question seriously. "You mean as...?" 

"As medical staff." 

"Ah, I would have thought you'd truly lost your mind if you told me you wanted to fight." 

"In my own way, I do." Grisha didn't know how else to channel his buried sadness. Somewhere along the line he made an unconscious choice to avoid feeling the hurt in his heart by distracting himself with work. 

"Well, as it happens I was only just introduced to the Commander of the Survey Corps and a few other officers this very afternoon at a conference. I can make a few phone calls." 

"That would be wonderful." Grisha said before having a slightly more casual catch up with his friend. Nile had moved about a month ago to take up his safer position as Military Police Captain in the Capitol, taking Marie and their daughter with him. After the raid so close, they all agreed it was wise to move away from the higher risk areas. They spoke about Nile's new life and the following week Grisha received a call asking for him to visit the Capitol in a few days time. He bid his farewells to the Arlerts and wished the villagers all the best before making his way to the city, promising to visit and call often. Armin even promised to call him if Eren ever came home, which hurt, but he appreciated the gesture. 

Upon his arrival to the city Grisha was introduced to Scouting regiment second-in-command, Erwin Smith, who offered him a position in their Scouting headquarter trauma wing as an emergency surgeon. He would act as a general practitioner when there were no accidents or emergencies to tend to. Scouting missions were roughly once a month as an entire unit, but there was still a training area and more ad-hoc missions taken out by the more elite squads. The Commander himself was currently away on one as such, leaving Erwin in charge of operations. 

Casualties were slow between major missions and heavy during the last few days of one, as the injured troops managed to make it out from the jungle. Grisha would never have a dull moment and that suited him just fine. Nile had even pulled strings with Erwin after sharing the good doctor's story. He had passed a rule that all new recruits be educated on missing persons, should they, in the event of travelling into enemy territory, recognise them.

It would be a long-shot, Grisha thought to himself but if there was any chance of him ever seeing his son again, dead or alive, it would be with the assistance of the Survey Corps. The only military branch dedicated to reconnaissance on the other side of the rivers. They would be the only soldiers that ever came close. 

During his years in the Survey Regiment's medical wings Doctor Yeager soon became a common name as the man's reputation grew. Having Nile's connections with the Garrison and Military Police as well as his own growing friendship with the newly appointed _Commander_ Smith, Grisha was able to keep Eren's missing persons report circulated for five years to date. He quite possibly could have become Ragako's most well known missing child. Five graduating classes knew his face, and it didn't stop there. People would talk. Talk to their families, friends and neighbours, distribute missing persons posters and they themselves shared with their own circles of influence.

Grisha had eventually come to terms with his wife's death and found friendship in a likeminded soldier, Hange Zoe, who visited his surgery on multiple occasions over the six years. Hange would burst into his office complaining about various ailments in their life, such as other people's smelly feet and Grisha would laugh, telling Hange the only thing he could prescribe was a peg for their nose. There were also times later after Hange had been promoted to Squad Leader under a new Captain, that their visits became more serious. The occasional pulled muscle or broken bone, as examples.

One of their late night catch ups and conversations in an empty medical wing had eventually ended in a slightly awkward kiss on both sides. They both laughed it off, but despite trying to shrug it off as impulsive they both eventually went back for more. Grisha had no plans on starting a new family but he definitely appreciated the company. It had been years since anyone had left him little loving notes, or left him a packed lunch in the morning and each small gesture became less of a reminder of what he'd lost and more of a taste of what could be. He'd found someone to confide in and share his troubles. Hange had done the same. They were content, despite the circumstances.

By the time the seventh anniversary of Eren's disappearance rolled closer, Grisha had almost all but reserved those memories to the back of his mind. They would only ever resurface when given a rare, quiet moment to himself, to ponder. It still saddened him greatly when he thought of his son, but he had decided he wasn't going to see him again.

Until of course Eren is rolled into his A&E wing on a stretcher, completely unconscious. Grisha's heart instantly sinks upon seeing his son. Hange had radio'ed to expect his arrival soon and although despite the fact that he has grown significantly and his body is covered with scars, Grisha recognises him in an instant. In a well practiced manner, the man places his facade carefully before his emotions and works with his team to stabilise the patient. It doesn't take long. The evaluation of the damage is simple. Aside from the immediately treated tetanus and pulled muscle in his arm as a result of the spasms, the patient is malnourished and underweight, and in dire need of dental surgery. Aside from that, the boy is remarkably okay. 

Physically, that is.

 

There are bound to be deep mental scars he can't see and it is these that Grisha fears more than the white sinewy scars marring his darkened skin. As soon as the boy awakens, he recognises Grisha and smiles broadly, pushing himself up instantly and lunging at his father. As soon as Grisha sees his son's green eyes and smile again his facade completely shatters as he throws his arms around him. Both men's tears flow freely with joy as they tightly hug each other, Eren gripping firmly onto Grisha's white coat and his father burying his face into his son's shoulder. 

Eren attempts to say something but is completely overwhelmed with emotion, unable to stop his tears. His body is flooded with relief, joy, happiness, elation and underlying exhaustion and the thick combination blocks his senses for a moment. Grisha appears to be having the same reaction after years of being strong for someone else's sake. Mikasa keeps quiet in her hospital bed to the side and even she gets a little bit teary at the reunion, feeling genuinely joyous for her close friend of the last six years. She can't help but think of home. 

Once the father and son separate, they smile at one another for a long moment, not sure what to say.

"I missed you." Eren stated. Grisha laughed out one of his final sobs.

"Heh, me too. Like you wouldn't believe." 

"This is Mikasa." Eren says next, grabbing the girl's attention. She smiles slightly at Grisha. 

"Hello," the pair say to one another.

Once their initial reunion is over, Grisha takes a seat to spend time with the pair of teens. They tell him their story and he tells them his. Thankfully it seems as though Eren was not kept in isolation and was able to interact with other people, thus learning certain skills, but he was by no means city-savvy. He looked as if he felt out of place. They must have been sat in that room for hours, being only interrupted once by a mousey nurse saying that they have a visitor and that she'd need to speak to Grisha outside. The man leans over and gives his son a kiss on the forehead and waves to Mikasa as he steps outside, a huge grin on his face.

He straightens up and salutes as soon as he is greeted with the visitor. Before him is Commander Erwin Smith and Captain Levi, dressed in their full dress uniform reserved for public appearances. The attire has black dress pants with dark green detailing and a forest green suit jacket, each decorated with green and black crossed wing pins. They are both wearing black shirts with black ties and hold their dark green caps under their arms. Erwin's uniform is as prim and proper as they come and has a rifle slung over his right arm whereas Levi's top button is undone just under his tie and has his black crossbow strapped across his back. 

"Good afternoon Doctor Yeager, at ease." Erwin waves a hand at the man's salute and smiles fondly. Grisha relaxes, still unable to shake his smile. "I am so pleased to hear that Eren is alive and well. You must be so relieved after such a long wait." 

"I am." Grisha responds.

"We have also arranged for transport for Mikasa Ackerman. As soon as she is ready to go home, she may." 

Grisha nodded. There was only her weight which could use increasing, aside from that she seemed unscathed. 

"That should be in no time at all, then."

"Wonderful." Erwin smiled, his teeth perfectly white. Levi nudged the man and hissed something under his breath. Erwin rolled his eyes and kept the smile going as if tending to an unruly child.

"I would very much like to share this news of Eren and Mikasa's safety with Ragako." He paused, seeing if Grisha would object. When the man stood there waiting for more, he continued. "A number of television and newspapers have collected at the outskirts of our medical centre. If Eren is okay with it, they just want to take a few photographs of your reunion. Should they have any questions, they can direct them to me." He explained calmly. Grisha nodded along, seeing no harm.

"Did you want to ask him yourself?" Grisha asked. Erwin glanced down to Levi then back up, smiling still.

"If you wouldn't mind?" 

"Of course not. He's awake right now."

Grisha led the two men into the room and Eren sat upright in his bed, the medication having worked it's wonders. He still felt like he needed a lot of sleep but it was almost time for bed. Time for bed. An actual bed. With an actual mattress. That was actually comfortable. In a whimsical moment Eren decided for a moment that this wasn't _really_ happening and he'd actually died and gone to heaven. 

He recognised Levi in an instant and his jaw dropped seeing him in a full black and green suit, lapels, medals and all. If he thought the man was handsome before then this threw those thoughts out of the window. After burning them. Twice.

His eyes were pulled upward to Erwin as he introduced himself. The boy felt himself go quiet whilst in the presence of two of the top leaders of the very regiment he'd wanted to join since he was a boy. He wanted to make a good impression on Erwin who he'd heard so much about during the last (almost) two weeks.

"Hello Eren. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Erwin extended his hand and Eren looked at it, hesitating only for a moment before shaking it firmly, meeting him eye for eye. Ice blue to teal.

"Nice to meet you too, Sir." Eren mimicked the way Levi's troops had addressed him. Erwin smiled faintly. 

"You already know Captain Levi." Erwin stated. Eren nodded as his eyes flicked sheepishly between the two men as if he weren't allowed to look away from the Commander. He definitely had a commanding presence. Erwin explained the situation with the reporters and Eren agreed they could come back in the morning. Mikasa also agreed she would have one more night in Ragako and head home tomorrow. That would give Eren and Mikasa the evening and morning to say their farewells in private before doing so most likely on television. 

Erwin dismissed himself shortly after but Levi remained stood in the hospital room at the end of Eren's bed for just long enough to say "get well soon, brat" before Erwin called after him. Eren felt his cheeks heat just slightly as he watched the man give him a brief glance over his shoulder before leaving. 

Grisha performed a few final checks on both teenagers but before he could finish swapping the final IV drip, there was a quiet knock on the door and a scruffy head of brown hair poked itself into the room. 

"Hey hey, party people!" Hange announced their arrival perhaps a little too loudly for a hospital room. Everyone smiled nonetheless, recognising the familiar face. 

"Hey," Eren and Grisha said in almost perfect unison whereas Mikasa waved. Hange leaned back against the wall and informed the two they were waiting for the Doctor. Said Doctor told them he'd be done soon and he'd be back in the morning, despite not really wanting to leave. Eren reassured him that it was okay and he wouldn't be going anywhere. Not in a hurry at least. 

A few more long hugs later and a borderline teary father being dragged home by Hange, Eren and Mikasa were finally in the hospital room alone. Eren stretched out as best he could and laid back into the soft pillows. 

"So I guess this is our last night together," he mused quietly. It was still audible, but the words contained sadness nonetheless. 

"I'll be back before you know it," Mikasa said from her own bed. Eren nodded and closed his eyes. 

Even if she didn't come back to see him, she'd be home and that's all he could ever wish for her.


	10. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title speaks for itself, really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween all! 
> 
> Thanks for all the wonderful feedback so far! Your comments make me smile, laugh and giggle, usually while I'm at work at my desk, earning me strange looks from the management team. 
> 
> Also I snuck a little bit of fluff into this chapter. Just a little. 
> 
> Here's another installment for yah. Enjoy!

Mikasa and Eren had not been able to stay awake much longer than about half an hour the night before, given their last few years together, although true to habitual patterns they had woken up naturally just before the sun. Neither of them said anything as they slowly awoke, not used to having nowhere to be or nothing to do or no one pointing guns at them. 

Eren laid in his bed with a peculiar tightness in his chest which had nothing to do with the tetanus. He couldn't hear the jungle's loud morning song for the first time in years and couldn't quite tell whether it was a good thing or not. Either way, as Mikasa got up for her shower, the boy lay there enveloped in a peculiar sense of loss. He briefly wondered if Mikasa felt the same.

Later on, as Mikasa re-emerged from the hospital room en-suite from her shower, Eren sat up and stretched, greeting her with a "good morning" to which she replied with a smile, repeating the same gesture. 

"Good morning Eren," Mikasa said with a hint of excitement in her voice that didn't go unnoticed by Eren. She smiled at him with a warmth that he'd not seen on her face in a very long time. In the jungle he'd only ever seen her smile a fleeting few times. The rest of the time she was more or less nonchalant, increasingly so as the years passed. 

"Are you excited?" Eren asked. He couldn't help but feel a certain sense of sadness at the fact that she was going, but that was easily erasable by the feeling of joy for her. Like he'd been reunited with his father, she would be reunited with her own family, even if it wasn't her own parents who had died at the hands of the rebels. 

Mikasa took a moment to reply, the smile still pulling at her lips. "Yeah, but..."

"But what? You're going home." Eren stated. 

"Yeah I know. I just feel bad for leaving, you know?" 

"Well don't. You'll be so happy when you get back to your own family." 

Mikasa hummed and looked at her hands, picking at a little bit of dirt under her nails she'd missed. It was strange being so clean all of a sudden. 

"I didn't really know my aunt and uncle all that well," she shrugged, looking back up at Eren who's expression had softened somewhat. "You're more like family to me, Eren," she mumbled. The boy looked at her with wide eyes, understanding nonetheless. She was experiencing the same sense of sadness of leaving something behind as Eren was for losing something. 

"Well if you don't like it just move back?" It was Eren's turn to shrug now. Mikasa hummed as if contemplating it. "Give it a try back at home at the very least. You might like it." 

"Yeah..." 

With that, the pair got ready for their day in comfortable silence as always. Eren remained in his bed since he was still hooked up to various drips and Mikasa helped him out of bed for the bathroom, despite his protests. Grisha knocked and entered with a nurse who proceeded to check the pair over, take vitals and generally have a chat. 

"How did you sleep?" Grisha asked neither of them in particular. 

"Good." Mikasa's response was curt and polite. 

"Like the dead." Eren smiled, still lying on his bed. Grisha chuckled quietly and moved over to inspect his son's drips and monitors. He commented to the nurse over his shoulder that everything was looking fine, even if Eren's joints were still a little bit sore. 

"Does anything hurt?" the Doctor asked.

"Just my arm, really. I can't move it a whole lot without it hurting," Eren told him honestly, trying to flex his right arm but wincing when he moved it just a fraction too far, causing it to pull and hurt. 

"I couldn't see anything torn on your scans, so I believe the muscle only suffered a slight pull. The swelling went down well over night though, which is a good sign. It means it's healing quickly." 

"Yeah... I always did heal fast." Eren shrugged. 

"It was the case too even when you were younger," Grisha started as he switched the boy's fluids. "Whenever you'd get into a fight at school or fall over, you'd barely bruise. Whenever you did, it would heal in a few days. Truly remarkable." 

Eren smiled and looked to Mikasa who was receiving her breakfast from the nurse. It was a simple meal of onion and ham omelette, a small pot of yoghurt and an orange juice but it looked delicious. He'd lived off of one meal a day in the evenings for the last few years, so breakfast was a peculiar concept now. He did feel hungry though, so didn't complain when the nurse brought his own over and set it on a tray over his legs. The boy tucked in as the nurse excused herself and his dad took the visitor's seat between the two beds. 

"It was nice to meet you, Mister Yeager..." Mikasa said between mouthfuls. Grisha smiled at her and offered her a sincere "likewise". 

"If you ever want to visit Ragako again you are more than welcome to stay with us." Grisha offered, making both Eren and Mikasa smile. It meant the world to Eren that his father accepted and approved of Mikasa, even if he himself didn't even know where they'd be staying when or if she came back. He saw her as a sister and wouldn't know what to do if Grisha ever saw her as anything less. There he was, accepting a total stranger with welcome arms. 

"Commander Smith will be returning in about fifteen minutes for the press and the photographers will be arriving about half an hour after that. I've told the officers you'll be staying in bed. If you feel uncomfortable just say and we'll stop." Grisha directed to the pair of them although gave Eren a pointed look when he said 'staying in bed'. 

The two teens looked at one another then looked back at the Doctor, nodding. He couldn't quite comprehend why, but Eren felt a little bit nervous at the prospect of seeing the Captain again. He pushed his hair out from his face and over his shoulders, tucking it behind his ears. He didn't realise it but with the longer hair he struck a strong resemblance to his father, who after all these years still kept his own in the same long dark brown ponytail. The fifteen minute wait for the Commander to return went by quickly and before they knew it there he was again, the same uniform as yesterday and the same pearly white smile and perfectly combed sun-bleached hair. The Captain wasn't far behind him, looking even more immaculately dressed. 

"Good morning, Mikasa and Eren." Erwin said. Levi stuck to the back of the room, leaning against the wall with his arms folded and a nondescript, blank facial expression which gave none of his thoughts away. Eren found his attention hooked solely onto the Captain until a voice shook him from his staring. 

"I hope you don't mind, your father here filled me in on the details of what happened to you both." Erwin said, taking a seat at the foot of their beds. The two teenagers didn't mind that Grisha told Erwin and if they did they didn't show it. Erwin sat back into his chair and crossed his legs, resting his hands atop his raised knee. 

"So here is what we'll be doing today. The press outside are keen to get a good story, so they will ask you questions." 

"What sort of questions?" Eren asked. 

"Oh, nothing too difficult, they just want the details of your story really." Erwin explained. "They will probably ask you how you escaped, what it was like living in the jungle, how the Titans treated you." Both teens nodded, following closely what he was saying.

"I understand everything is still very new to the both of you, and Mikasa you will be flying home later today. I would like to keep this meeting fairly short, let them take a few photographs of the reunited father and son, Mikasa getting on her plane home later today, very simple. I will do any talking if they ask any questions."

"So just keep quiet and let them take pictures?" Mikasa asked quietly when the blonde man paused to ensure they had taken in what he'd said. He simply nodded with an affirming hum.

"That is correct. You will have plenty of time to share your stories, but I want for you to rest first. Regain your strength. Then we can talk as little or as much as you like." 

"Sir?" Eren spoke up when no one else continued the conversation. 

"Yes?"

"I want to join the Scouting regiment." He stated, sitting upright in his bed despite his aching muscles. Levi tilted his head slightly, his interest piqued, and eyed the boy curiously. He let Erwin continue talking and remained to himself at the back though.

"Like I say Eren, we can discuss whatever you would like as soon as you have recovered." 

...An hour later.

The room had been adjusted just enough to accommodate for a few extra seats as well as a few extra standing spaces. Mikasa felt okay to stand, so they moved her bed to the side and she stood next to Eren's side as he remained in his own, still wired up to the monitors. Erwin had taken a seat beside Grisha who had taken a seat on Eren's other side, with the Captain stood behind his superior at the back. 

It took Eren a moment to get used to the flashes from the cameras from the eight or so photographers, each of them keeping reasonably quiet as they gathered their shots. They would ask everyone to sit or stand in different positions, such as Eren with his father or the two 'saved' teens with their 'saviour' Levi. The Captain simply complied with their requests although refused to engage in their 'posing ideas' in every photograph. He kept the same stance and expression throughout.

"Captain Levi," one of the reporters asked aside their cameraman. "Where did you find the missing children?"

"In the jungle, where else?" Levi rolled his eyes. It was clear to Eren that the man didn't enjoy being in the company of the press. 

"Were there any other hostages?" Another reporter asked, causing Eren to flinch and look down at his hands, trying to will the bubbling sadness and grief away.

"Did they not make it back alive?" Eren frowned at the memory resurfacing as the reporters pried. The flashes from the camera felt all too familiar, reminding him of a blinding white light followed by an incredible heat, followed by a deafening sound. The flashes from the cameras melded into one big light and the constant voices rung like gunfire through his ears. He didn't even notice the tears spill from his cheeks as he sat in his hospital bed, completely immersed in the loss he experienced in that one night.

He was slowly brought back by the feeling of a hand on his shoulder and the sound of Erwin's voice ushering everyone out. Eren's head slowly turned to the hand to see Levi looking down at him. 

"It gets easier," he said quietly. Eren wiped at his cheeks and sniffed in an attempt to stop his running nose. Levi handed him a tissue silently and rested a comforting hand on Eren's back, between his shoulders, keeping it there long after the reporters had left and it was only himself, Eren, Mikasa and Grisha remaining. 

"Are you okay Eren?" Mikasa asked gently. The boy didn't respond as he couldn't stop his tears, his shoulders shaking slightly as he buried his face into his soggy tissue. 

"Mind if I have a moment with Eren?" Levi asked, looking to Grisha and Mikasa. Grisha eyed the man with a stern expression and nodded, much to Mikasa's displeasure. She looked disappointed and worried for Eren as Grisha led her outside. Once the door gently snapped shut, Levi moved away from Eren's side to sit on the edge of his bed by his side. He handed the boy a fresh tissue who took it, gladly replacing his current one which the soldier removed to place on the bedside table. He sat in silence, waiting for Eren to let it out. 

"You remind me of someone I used to know." Levi finally broke the silence when Eren's tears had run dry roughly five long minutes later. Eren didn't look up, just kept his tissues to his face and his head down. 

"He'd always play the role of the strong, silent type. Always the shoulder to turn to whenever we needed reassurance." Levi's tone was quiet and calm, with an undertone of sadness which didn't go unnoticed by Eren. "He never wanted us to see him at his weakest. Much like you do." Levi paused before continuing, not looking directly at the teenager but rather to anything nearby. His IV lines, heart monitor, bed linens. He didn't want to come across as imposing. He knew Eren needed the space in this moment. 

"He never let anyone in, and it ended up killing him in the end. All over something that would have been avoidable if he trusted in his comrades." Eren finally looked up at the man, who turned his attention to meet him once his head raised. He had a gentle expression and his eyes weren't their usual cold, steely selves. Eren got the feeling that this man did in fact care, a lot more than he let on, and that he was being granted rare access to see his true self. The side to him that he wouldn't be able to properly express in public. 

"It's good to be strong, and I can see that you are, but don't forget you have people that will support you with whatever choice you make, even if you regret it later on." 

Eren hummed quietly and returned his attention to his lap, looking at the wires stuck to him, monitoring his vitals. 

"You're weaker for denying help. Just remember that. It doesn't make you any less if you need to ask for help." Levi said softly, a slight air of authority in his voice, as if he were speaking from experience. Eren didn't feel as though he was being spoken down to or reprimanded, rather, supported and guided. He appreciated Levi's words, as until he'd been kidnapped there had been no other forms of guidance or counsel in his life since. 

"Yeah..." Eren smiled slightly, his nose red and eyes dry. Levi cracked a slight smile, if it could be called that. It was more of a weak, pained grimace if anything. 

"Levi?" Eren asked after a short moment of silence, long enough for him to soak in Levi's advice. 

"What?" 

"Do you think I have a chance at joining the Scouts?" He asked. "Honestly..." 

Levi sucked at his teeth slightly and turned his lips up as he shrugged. "There will be a lot of hoops to jump through, given your education, but you seem determined enough to get anything you want." 

Eren wasn't sure if it was a yes or a no, but Levi hadn't discouraged the idea, so he took it as a positive. "I only know the jungle." He added. Levi smirked and adjusted his position on the bed, looking straight at him. 

"Well then you'd fit in just fine. As long as you can shoot straight, work with a team and keep your cool under pressure I'm sure you'll have no issue provided the higher ups can overlook a few paperwork exceptions." 

Eren had to smile. It was only then did Levi get up, ruffle his hair and move over toward the door. He paused before opening it. "You had enough of the vultures for today? You'll no doubt have plenty more opportunities to get to know each other. " Levi asked. Eren nodded with a weak smile. 

"Me too." He replied, opening the door and making a thumbs up gesture to whoever was immediately inside. Mikasa scurried back in quickly and quietly and took the seat next to Eren. 

"Are you okay?" Mikasa asked. Eren spent the next few minutes reassuring the girl as Levi returned to his place at the back of the room, Grisha stood beside him as Erwin dealt with the reporters just outside the door down the hall. 

"He's lost a lot." Levi stated quietly, looking over at Mikasa and Eren's exchange. Grisha hummed in agreement, a sad look on his face before inviting Levi to join him just outside the room, keeping the door open though so they were both in view. 

Levi looked up at the Doctor. "What really happened the day you rescued him? He skimmed past the details when we spoke about it briefly." Grisha asked. Levi glanced to his side, toward Eren once more, who met his gaze and smiled brightly before Levi turned back to the boy's father. 

"There were a handful of other kidnapped children. Dentals haven't come back yet identifying who, but they must have been close. They all lived in the same tent together, worked together. Possibly for years." Levi shrugged. "The others were killed or went missing that night. We still haven't had Eren and Mikasa's full reports, so..." 

"I understand. I've got one of our best psychiatrists coming in to do the mental evaluation on Eren. Mikasa has a family hospital back home she will be staying at when she gets there." 

"That's good." 

"We've set her up with the best of the best from her country and more. She seems like a hardy young woman." Levi nodded in agreement, having seen her hike for eleven days in the same set of clothes without so much as a peep of complaint. 

"Would you let me know how Eren does?" Levi asked, almost carefully. "If he wants to join the Scouts, I'll need an update on when he'll be fit for training." He clarified suddenly, looking past Grisha's shoulder to see Erwin approaching. The horde of reporters and photographers were leaving.

"They'll be around later for Mikasa's departure. Just focus on Eren's recovery and then we'll speak to him." Erwin told Grisha who agreed, shaking the man's hand in thanks and turning to Levi to do the same. Erwin poked his head into the hospital room and the pair looked up at him. 

"I will see you in about three hours when Mikasa's plane arrives. Rest up until then." He said. 

"Are you going already?" Eren asked, primarily looking at Levi rather than anyone else. Erwin's eyes narrowed slightly, catching the direction of the teen's attention and simply hummed in confirmation.

The pair left and Grisha told the pair he had other patients to tend to. Mikasa sat on the end of Eren's bed like they had done when they were in the jungle and the pair shared stories, made jokes, played word games and laughed together. It was only when they heard a knocking at the door did the truth settle in. It was time for Mikasa to go home. Eren smiled broadly at her, pushing aside his own sad feelings for her sake. They shared a long hug before Mikasa finally left his bed and blew him a kiss before leaving the room and out of sight. Eren remained in his bed, in the room by himself as the officers left with Mikasa and Grisha to tend to the departure and reporters relating to the afternoon. 

By himself he had plenty of time to stew in his own thoughts, but before he could delve too deeply he'd fallen asleep, finally left in peace for the first time in years. His dreams were reasonably pleasant overall, not falling too close to nightmares like they usually would, and not sleeping in a hammock helped with getting consistent hours at a time. He didn't really remember getting too many visitors after Mikasa left, nor did he really keep track of the time. All he knew was he spent a lot of his time sleeping and ridding his body of excess exhaustion. 

The medications soon became less and eventually Eren's arm healed up, no longer causing him pain. This was just after his third week in the hospital. Grisha had informed him that Mikasa was doing well and was welcomed home with open arms. Apparently it had been an emotional reunion and the entire country celebrated on the family's behalf, making international news. Grisha also brought in Eren's article in the Ragakan newspapers. When not sleeping, Eren would busy himself with reading daily newspapers, learning what it was like to live in the Capitol. 

He had kept one newspaper article which had a photograph of Levi, Grisha and himself between the two stood at his sides, Levi's hand on his shoulder. At present those were the two people he felt closest to, aside from Mikasa in another country. After the article was released of Eren's safe return, Grisha was flooded with letters wishing them well. He attempted to seem nonplussed about it, but Eren could spot the slight smile on his lips whenever he read the letters to him. A lot of the letters were from just regular people, but there were also a lot of letters from journalists and tabloids inviting them to talk to newspapers, magazines and TV shows. The list became so large that Grisha simply began a 'press' pile to go through in their own time. 

Once Grisha cleared Eren to be able to move about he attended a few sessions with a psychiatrist, to evaluate his mental state after spending years in the jungle.

"The results are fairly simple," the Doctor had told Eren's father. "He blames himself for his mother's death, even if he didn't outwardly admit it to me. He covers this with his anger, which we can work on with time. He is naturally cautious, and doesn't take well to physical contact, unless he trusts the person. He is surprisingly extremely self aware and has an incredible awareness of his surroundings. He could even do a perfect reading on me without asking any questions. Just straight up told me how I felt to him. It's all very good, he doesn't exhibit any signs of mental health issues other than his slight trust issue, which is completely understandable given his situation. "

The evaluation came back with requests to see Eren for an hour each week for the next three months. Following a secondary evaluation they would see if he required more sessions but the psychiatrist highly doubted he'd need more. Grisha was worried about what the findings would unearth regarding what had happened to him while he was gone. The full physical examination Doctor was presented with an overworked, underweight, scarred young man with a massive boulder of a grudge slapped onto his back. His arms and fingers were missing chunks here and there, there were white scars and mottled burn marks, lash scars on his back, the list went on. 

The day came at the end of his third week when Grisha announced in the morning he was fit to be discharged. He had come into the room after leaving to finalise his son's discharge with a dark expression on his face, accompanied by a pair of Military Police officers clad in their green unicorn-embroidered uniforms. Eren looked up from his newspaper and knitted his brows together in confusion and apprehension. 

"Eren Yeager?" One of the officers addressed him and he cautiously stood up, instinctually backing away from the pair, despite his dad being present. 

"Yes?" He glared at the unknown pair who kept their distance, treating the teenager like one would a wild animal. 

"We have a warrant for your arrest."

"What?" he asked in disbelief. His green eyes darted to his father's. Grisha looked back at him with an unreadable expression. "This has to be a mistake," he mumbled, still looking to his father for guidance. 

"Don't worry Eren, I'm sure it's nothing. I tried speaking to them but I can't stop them so you'll have to go. I will come as soon as I can, I promise." Eren understood he was probably unable to leave the hospital due to having other patients to attend to, but not having his only family with him again with the prospect of being taken away frightened him.

"It'll be okay, I promise." Grisha said. "They're not going to hurt you, especially after what happened to you." The doctor added, glaring at the officers in a clear warning. They nodded slowly, one holding out a hand. Eren couldn't bring himself to trust the men but his father's words offered a small amount of comfort. He approached the two policemen and one moved to take hold of his arm, forcing him to flinch away aggressively. "Don't touch me!" He snapped. The two officers had their hands on their guns, looking at him wearily as if he were something to be feared. That was certainly new, he'd never been looked at like _that_ before. 

"Get the cuffs," one said to the other, who was way ahead of him. The same officer made another move to grab hold of Eren's arm and he struck out and backed away against the bed, feeling cornered. "I said don't fucking touch me!" He yelled, his voice cracking slightly with a buried fear he hadn't know he possessed. Before Eren could register the action, the officer pushed him up against the end of the hospital bed as the other hurried over with the handcuffs. Being bent over the footboard of the bed hurt as it dug into the boy's hips and stomach and a sheer bolt of panic erupted throughout his body when he felt a body forcefully pressing up against his own, trying to restrain his hands against his will. 

The teenager could barely hear his father calling his name to try to get him to calm down as the two officers tugged his arms back, forcing him to the ground when his panicked thrashing got them all nowhere aside from irate and aggravated. 

With his face pressed against the cold floor, both officers pinning him down, one spoke up through their heavy breaths: "Relax, Yeager. You don't want anything else on your list of committed crimes as well." Eren grit his teeth and grumbled angrily as they hauled him to his feet and out of the room and through the hospital halls. He felt angry, that much was obvious, but what the teen was really retaliating at was not being treated like a human being. Every armed man who had laid hands on him since his kidnapping had only used him as a piece of meat. To perform for them. 

Eren felt a pang of deep sadness spread through his lungs as he realised that no one had ever simply treasured him for who he truly was. His only value came from what he could physically do. How well he could obey. In his small moment of clarity, Eren was hauled to his feet and went along with the officers with no further trouble, keeping his eyes downward as he was taken away. 

As soon as Eren was placed into a MP car and driven away, Grisha was back in his office for his phone, scrolling through his contact list for the only possible person who may have direct answers about Eren's arrest.

"This is Dawk." The man on the end of the line sounded tired. His new role as Commander had been taxing him, making him stressed and even in the space of a short few words, his old friend was able to tell of his state. 

"Nile it's Grisha, how are you?" 

"This is about Eren, isn't it." It wasn't a question. Nile's tone still held the same exhaustion, just without any sense of familiarity towards his friend. He sounded cold. 

"Yes," was Grisha's curt response. 

"Trust me Grisha when I say that this isn't personal." Despite his growing impatience with Nile's evasions, Grisha held his tongue and waited for Nile to continue. "There are just a few _questions_ we would like to ask your son. That is all." 

"You had to arrest a kidnap victim to ask them questions? Nile I'm not an idiot, what is going on?" 

Nile sighed on the other end of the line before informing Grisha that he would be released if found innocent, otherwise he would be processed through the Ragakan justice system. Frowning and unsatisfied with his friend's response, Grisha hung up and rubbed his temples, looking around his office. It wasn't long before he received a page however from one of the wards, requesting his presence. So with a heavy heart and a deep sigh he got up and straightened out his hair and glasses and returned to work.

Meanwhile, outside, Eren was led into a police car and he remained completely silent on the trip out from the medical facility and across a large bridge. Upon leaving the facility he saw a road sign indicating that he was on an island designated for Garrison and Scouting Regiment headquarters. He turned to look out of the rear window of the car, watching the tall-fenced buildings disappear as they travelled toward a large built up city on the other side of the river. Sure, this wasn't how he would have expected his first trip to the country's capital to go, but here he was regardless. 

He kept his eyes on his surroundings as they passed through a collection of shorter buildings and drove through an increasingly populated area of the city into what could only have been the city centre. The structures here were unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Back in Shinganshina the buildings were primarily made from stone, brick and thatched roofs, whereas here everything was made from large blocks, tiles and glass walls. It was far more modern than he'd ever imagined was possible and every glass surface reflected the hot summer sun. 

The people on the streets emerging from buildings and buses were clad in suits in blacks, whites and greys, the occasional hint of colour on only their ties or advertisements on street bins. Everything was impressive, but dull. He didn't see many people smiling on their way to wherever they were going. The car ride must have taken only half an hour and once the car stopped it was pulling into an older looking building complex with a heavy duty gate keeping the public out. 

Once there, he was removed from the car and led inside. The interior was more or less a standard office, only full of Military Police officers and desk workers. He walked past a few desks, receiving a few looks, but his view of the insides was soon removed by his entry into a small square room with a plain metal table in the centre. It had painted white brick walls and a large mirror on the opposite wall to the door. He was led to sit into a single seat on one side of the table and he sat opposite two empty chairs as the officers fixed his handcuffs behind his back to his chair, which was bolted to the floor. 

A few moments after the two first men had left, a pair of officers in suits entered the room. One was a shorter, blonde woman with glasses and a glare that would rival Levi's whereas the other man was tall, balding and intense. 

"Eren Yeager?" Eren looked up. The woman was speaking. "I am detective Brzenska and this is detective Woerman. It's nice to meet you." She said as the pair took their seats opposite, setting down her thin brown file folder. Eren simply stared warily at the pair, waiting for them to explain why he was here. 

"Do you know why you are here?" Woerman asked. Eren shook his head slowly.

"No." 

"Are you comfortable?" He asked. Again, Eren shook his head. 

"I'd be a lot more comfortable if you told me why the hell I'm here." He spat at the man. The detective didn't seem impressed with the attitude. 

"Can we get you anything to drink?" Brzenska asked. 

"How about a cup of _what the hell am I doing here_?!" Eren started raising his voice, tired of the small talk already. 

"Very well." She stated, opening her file. Woerman knitted his fingers together and rested them on the table as his colleague pulled a sheet of paper from the folder. It was a photograph, the image making Eren's face pale. It was a mug shot of the Titan who was keeping the other teens in check back at the laboratory. Bean was his name. 

"Do you know this man?" She asked, sticking to closed questions. 

"Yes." 

She pulled another photograph out from the folder and showed it to him. It was the other man who had accompanied him a lot of the time. He'd heard Bean call him Sonny. He recognised them both but failed to understand why they were asking him if he knew them.

"How about this man? Do you know him?" 

"Yes." He answered slowly, unsure if he should be admitting this. These men were criminals, after all. 

"Where do you know these two men from?" 

"From the camp." Eren responded. 

"The one in the jungle, where you were found?" 

"Yes." 

"I've been told that you spent some time working with these men, am I correct?" She asked. Eren nodded once. 

"Working _for_. Not with, yes." 

"And what did you do _for_ these men, what was your job?" 

"We were forced to make drugs." 

"We? You mean yourself and the others at the camp?" 

"Yes." 

"And by forced?" 

"They pointed their guns at us and told us they'd kill us if we didn't." Eren said flatly. It was simple to him. What was there to understand? 

"I see." She said, slipping the photographs back into the folder.

"Do you know where this camp was?" 

"No." 

"How did you get there?" She asked. 

"By boat and then by foot." 

"And you don't remember the way?" 

"The jungle all looks the same. It was years ago and I didn't even go from Shiganshina straight there." 

"Okay, where did you go after Shiganshina?" 

"Another camp in the forest. Up the river." 

"Do you know which way?"

"No. I was unconscious." 

The conversation followed a very similar format for another slow five minutes or so, Brzenska asking simple questions about what Eren had been up to in the jungle regarding the Titan operations and the teenager gave honest, simple responses detailing his last six and a half years. Woerman sat quietly, although the longer they conversed lightly, the more irritated he seemed to become. There was a quiet pause for a moment and Eren noticed the man was glaring at him.

"Is there a problem?" Eren asked carefully, looking at the man who looked like he wanted to skin the boy alive. 

"You're not here to ask the questions." He stated, his demeanour not softening one ounce. 

"Um.." Eren was at a loss for what to say.

"You have avoided every single question so far," the man said cooly, his face completely serious. Eren blinked, feeling his chest tighten instantly at the accusation. He was instantly riled up in self defence, feeling cheated somehow since he had been nothing but honest with Brzenska's questioning. 

"I have not!" Eren complained.

"So you tell me you have no idea where you were or where those drugs went?" Woerman asked in disbelief. "I find that very difficult to believe." 

"But it's the truth."

"So back to the two men I showed you at the start." Brzenska interrupted the two rutting males before Eren got himself into any trouble with her unreasonable colleague. Eren turned his attention to the woman. "You say you know them. How do you know these men? In as much detail as you can, in your own time." 

"They were rebel guards. They came to our tent each day to get us and take us to the factory. They would go elsewhere during the day usually but come to escort us all back to our tent after dinner." Eren explained clearly. 

"What were their names?" Brzenska asked and Eren responded with the facts. Eren assumed there were witnesses behind the peculiar mirror to their side. The officers in front of him weren't making notes after all. They were probably recording the information he was sharing somehow. At least he hoped they were. He didn't want to have to needlessly repeat himself. Unbeknownst to the boy, he was closer than he thought. Behind the mirror was set up with a few chairs for additional eyes and ears and a tripod with a camera, recording the conversation with the help of an in-built microphone on the ceiling above the table. 

"So Sonny and Bean seem to know you." Brzenska said.

"We were in the same camp for five, almost six seasons. I'd be worried if they didn't know me." Eren almost laughed. He was able to maintain his patience for the time being, so long as Woerman kept his mouth shut he'd be fine. He didn't stop glaring at the young man though throughout the entire questioning. Eren got the feeling that he wasn't believing a single word he said. "What did they say?"

The officers were silent for a moment and Woerman even glanced at the mirror briefly. 

"I think that is all for now. We will likely need to do some investigations before we can release you. We will be keeping you in a holding cell for that time." Brzsenska explained, adjusting her glasses slightly. Woerman had his arms folded tightly against his chest, leant back in his chair. "You can make one phone call if you like." 

Eren frowned softly, having not expected the privilege. "I don't know any numbers" he admitted with a shrug. If he did only have one phone call he didn't know who he would call. Perhaps he'd think about it. 

"Well if you have someone you want to contact, let us know and we can look it up. It's no issue." 

Eren nodded and thanked the detective for her helpfulness as Woerman unclasped his handcuffs from the chair and forced him to stand. It was uncomfortable but he'd soon enough be unchained. Physically at least if not metaphorically. It was a bitter situation to have your freedom for just over one month, only to be thrown into a jail cell as soon as he'd recovered and come to terms with being back in civilisation. 

He was led through to the holding cell and had his cuffs removed. He was left in the centre of a large open holding cell as the officers locked the cell door behind them with a loud clank. There were a handful of bunks and a matching handful of other detained men. 

Two of whom he recognised as Sonny and Bean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm fairly on it, but I may update fortnightly during the 'Holiday' season. I work in retail and I've recently been tasked with another, separate job on top of my own. So I'm gonna be hella busy! (As if I'm not already) 
> 
> I'll let you know if my usual Saturdays are any different to normal, well in advance.
> 
> In other news, I'm on [Tumblr](http://agent-2-6.tumblr.com).


	11. Release

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rubbish cliffhanger results, sneaky terrible Taken reference, new character introduced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to explain Ragakan weather a little bit. 
> 
> There are two seasons per year: Wet and Dry. The 'Dry' season covers very roughly the months of October through to February/March and the wet season is everything else. 
> 
> Even during the dry seasons the rain is at least once a day, a heavy downpour for about an hour before everything clears up again. 
> 
> I'm working on a map of Ragako too, just 'cause :) 
> 
> Also I've only half edited this chapter. I'll go back into it at some point :D

Eren spent the next two hours sat around on an empty bunk in the holding cell. 

Thankfully Sonny nor Bean approached him, instead glaring at him occasionally. Eren saw it for all it was, putting him in the same cell as the men he'd been working (forcefully) under for the last few years. They probably expected him to lose his temper, swing some fists and get in even more trouble than he was apparently already in. He refused to play their pathetic games and instead followed suit with all the other inmates who avoided the pair like the plague. It was clear they were Titans just from looking at their tatty clothes and black bandanas hanging around their necks, tell tell uniform pieces of rebel groups.

None of the men in the cell spoke to one another, save from a few slurs directed at passing officers from one of the more particularly intoxicated inmates. The teenager groaned to himself and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes in an attempt to get some rest. His nap however was cut short by the jangle of keys and the footsteps of uniformed officers. 

"Eren Yeager." 

"Yeah?" He looked up, taking in the sight of an officer he'd not seen before. 

"Come here. I need you to put these on." They explained, holding a pair of handcuffs out to him as he stood and approached. The other detained men, including Sonny and Bean simply sat in somewhat menacing silence as they watched the exchange. Eren took the cuffs and slipped the cold metal around his wrists in front of himself, tightening them until they were secure. Pleased with his cooperation, the officer opened the door for him to walk out whilst keeping an eye on the others.

Eren didn't bother asking where they were going because it became obvious once he was sat in the same white brick room with his hands cuffed to the table this time. He gave the cuffs a little tug once he'd been locked into place and looked around, particularly at the mirror on the wall. Upon being able to see nothing through it, he waited. 

His thoughts were of what they may possibly have to ask of him this time around. Whether he'd get the same people or someone new. Whether they'd believe him or whether they would actually tell him why he was here in the first place. What he had supposedly done. He wasn't granted very much time to think about these things as the door swung open and Detective Woerman stomped back in. 

"Oh. You." Eren mumbled under his breath, just out of the detective's earshot. The man was by himself and he looked even more irked than earlier. This didn't feel like it was going to go well. 

"Yeager. You going to be honest with me now?" He asked.

"I was before." 

"Don't give me that backchat bullshit. Did you parents never teach you any damn manners?" He spat. Eren glared at him, which was when the man realised and a sinister grin crept onto the detective's face. "Oh that's right, you were raised by Titans. You probably don't know what manners are." 

Eren kept quiet, understanding that the man was goading him into a reaction that would only put the teen at his own disadvantage. This man had power, Eren did not. He'd have to be careful in here with the man by himself, Eren told himself. 

"So, Yeager. Are you one of them?" 

"What?" One of what?

"A Titan spy." 

"The fuck?" Eren spat in utter confusion. He felt the swing at the side of his head before he saw it coming, his cheek burning from where the detective had slapped him across the head, hard. 

"Don't play games with me, boy!" The man boomed. "Answer the question!" Eren paused for a moment, his head hung while he waited for the pain to subside a little.

"No. I'm not." He said vehemently. A pair of hands were slammed against the table in the detective's anger. Eren flinched only slightly from the noise. A part of him deep down felt utterly surprised at this man's reluctance to accept the obvious truth before him. 

"Then why do those two goons out there say otherwise?" 

Eren looked up. "Wait.. what?" He responded, brows knitted. "What did they say?" 

"Tch. Don't play dumb. You're working for the Titans and you know it." He stated, his anger blinding him to the facts. 

"But I'm not!" Eren almost raised his voice in desperation, reigning it back in quickly despite his frustrations. 

"Why do those two both say you work with them then?" 

"Because I did?" Eren proposed sarcastically, growing irritated. 

"So you _are_ working for them!" Woerman stated, looking at the mirror and nodding. Eren's jaw dropped. 

"Did you not listen to a word I said to that woman earlier? I was fucking _kidnapped_ when I was ten fucking years old!" Eren exclaimed. The man simply turned on his heel and left the room, leaving the teenager more wound up and angry than he himself had been. 

"Hey, come back here! I'm not working with them! They put a collar on me and forced me to make that stuff!" He yelled, looking at the mirror on the wall. "I'm not a Titan!" He continued shouting in exasperation. 

"I'm not a fucking Titan! Why won't you believe me?" He started to calm down slightly, looking down at the table where he waited in silence for the door to open again. It wasn't for another half an hour and as soon as it did, Eren kept his head down and posture slouched. He wasn't interested in policemen who wouldn't honour his word when he'd been nothing but honest with them from the start. 

"Hello Eren." A familiar voice forced Eren's attention up in an instant. 

"...Commander Smith?" Eren said after a moment, confused. He was even more surprised when he realised that the Commander was accompanied by Captain Levi, much like he'd done when they visited his hospital room. Erwin took a seat in front of the boy while Levi leant against the back wall, folding his arms. 

_What are they doing here too?_ Eren thought to himself. It wasn't until Erwin rested his hands on the table in front of himself with an unreadable expression did Eren realise. 

"Are you here to interrogate me too?" Eren grumbled. 

"Quite the opposite, Eren. I have personally witnessed your questionings today. I have only now been granted a personal audience." 

"Oh." 

Erwin paused and Eren glanced over to the Captain, who was picking at imaginary dirt under his clean looking fingernails. 

"Let's cut to the chase. Are you working with the Titans?" Erwin said calmly, looking at Eren pointedly, instantly grabbing his attention. 

"No." He said, looking Erwin straight in the eye, entirely unfaltering. 

"What can you say to convince _us_?" Erwin said and Eren followed his eyes as they darted to the side ever so subtly towards the mirror. Who was behind there? Eren paused for a moment before speaking, realising that it wouldn't be Erwin and Levi he was convincing. 

"I've been beaten, whipped, burnt and almost raped several times over the last six and a half years. I have been starved and forced to live in a kennel with rotting animals. I have buried friends and been threatened more times than I can count on both hands and feet. They killed my mother when they said they'd let her go in exchange for me instead. If you were to think for one damn _second_ that I could _ever_ work with those monsters willingly, you are gravely mistaken." Eren stated, growing more passionate the more he spoke, gaining even the uninterested looking Captain's attention. "If there is anything I would want to do _with_ those Titans... it would be to kill every last one of them."

Erwin seemed to be mulling in his own thoughts and turned to look at Levi after a short while of silence in the room. Eren's gaze didn't falter since he'd stopped talking, keeping his burning green eyes on the Commander. 

"Levi. Do you have any questions?" The Captain moved closer to the table in response to Erwin's question, resting his hands on the unoccupied chair beside his superior as the taller man turned to face the teenager again.

"Provided you aren't thrown in jail, what would you like to do with your life?" Levi asked. Eren tilted his head a little and glanced toward his hands as if they held all the answers in the universe. 

"I want to join the army and take them all down with the help of the Scouting regiment." Eren said, looking back up at the Captain with a burning passion in his eyes. "I will devote every breath from here on out to scouring every last inch of that forsaken fucking jungle. They have a stronghold out in the mountains and I _will_ find them, and I _will_ kill them." Levi seemed momentarily taken aback by the boy's bold statement before humming in acknowledgement and returning to the wall at the back as he waited for Erwin, who also seemed finished with his questions. Erwin stood and wished Eren well before leaving. Levi gave the boy a nod before fully closing the door. 

Eren was shortly thereafter removed from the white room by a pair of officers and back into the large cell where he would be left for the next two days. He briefly considered using his phone call to see if his dad would be visiting, or possibly even see if they'd let him dial internationally to Mikasa. Those brief thoughts were consumed entirely by the teen's desire to hear a slightly tired, dark haired twenty-something year old's voice. As he lay in his hard, flat bunk in the corner his thoughts were slowly consumed by everything Levi.

He wondered to himself every possible unanswered question. Where he lived, why he joined the military, did he have any hobbies or siblings or family? His thoughts also deteriorated into asking whether the Captain was straight or what it would feel like to be held in those strong arms. Eren didn't need to ask himself what the man may or may not look like naked, for that memory was currently amongst one of his most vividly treasured. Even if it was just the teenage hormones keeping that thought at the front of his mind, he didn't care.

It must have been at least midnight and although he could hear the activity of the night shift officers down the hall, everyone in his cell was more or less asleep. If they weren't asleep they were lying on their bunks minding their own business. Eren could occasionally make out a few rustles of the sheets and a few low groaning noises and even he with his limited sexual experiences knew masturbation when he heard it. You don't breathe that heavily from sleeping. Swallowing dryly and returning his mind back to his indulgent thoughts of the Captain, Eren allowed his hand to slip beneath his thin sheet, palming himself ever so slowly as to not make too much noise. This was possibly the last place he'd want to be caught in an embarrassing position. 

He justified his actions by the fact that the other men in the exact same room had no issue with doing the same. 

Eren realised as soon as he started to feel aroused by the thought of the Captain that he had a crush on the man. He couldn't deny himself a short moment of pleasure so he imagined what it would be like lying on the sand beside the forest river beside a campfire, the rest of their teammates gone or asleep. He'd lay on the soft warm sand in the dim twilight and watch as the man of his desires strode toward him, slowly unbuttoning a white shirt, letting it fall carelessly to the ground. 

Eren would be as he was now, shirtless but with his trousers on, unbuckled and unzipped, thighs spread slightly in a display for his lover who would approach him with a dangerously hungry glint in his eyes. 

_'It's okay. I'll make you feel good.'_ Levi would say in a low, husky tone as he unzipped his combat pants, silvery blue eyes glaring at Eren's clothes and willing them to begone, devouring the sight before him as if Eren were his prey to be ravished. Eren slipped his hand beneath the hem of his underwear, stroking slowly at his growing erection, imagining that Levi had stripped down to his underwear and was looming above him, pressing kisses to his neck and down his chest. His hands would roam down Eren's chest and along with the mental image, Eren's hand brushed up his shirt to roll his nipples between his fingertips and thumb one at a time, all the while imagining it was Levi's hands.

Eren used a finger to smear the pre-come around his head once he'd roused himself into a full erection before returning to stroking himself, willing himself to keep quiet and to carry on at the slow pace. He felt hypersensitive of his surroundings, being in a dark cell with a dozen other men, any of whom could awake and discover him at any moment. At the same time the tingling sensation trickling through his veins from his groin up to the back of his head was difficult to ignore. 

The more he imagined Levi whispering sweet nothings to him while stroking his cock, Eren's body started to feel a most satisfying type of tense. His muscles were tensing in ways unlike the tetanus, his wrist feeling tight and his hips thrusting up into his fist subtly in an attempt to gain more friction.

The tension in his body rose until he couldn't bear it any longer and before he could stop it a groan escaped his throat which he was quick to cover with a cough and an adjustment of the sheet around his waist. He lay still for a brief moment, ensuring no one had been disturbed by him and slowly rolled over onto his stomach, pushing his pathetic excuse for a pillow out of the way so he could rest his head on it's side, hips arched with his hand back between his legs.

Eren indulged his fantasies a little further, trying desperately to fully imagine the Captain's solid, muscular weight pressed up against his back and thighs, an arm reaching around his front to stroke his almost painfully hard cock. His hand quickened around himself, hips thrusting gently toward the mattress into his hand, envisioning what sorts of noises Levi would make while he did this. 

_'Eren, I'm so turned on right now...'_

_'Damn, you're beautiful.'_

_'Look what do you to me Eren.'_

_'Fuck Eren, you're so tight.'_ Eren would imagine Levi probing his fingers inside of him, stretching him and preparing him for his impressive length. He didn't quite remember how long Levi's manhood had been, but his sense of imagination took it to however long it needed to be to reach his relief. Just thinking about it had Eren stifling back quiet pleasured whimpers and whines, whispering Levi's name under his increasingly ragged breath. 

A few more quickened pumps and Eren found himself spurting into the back of his boxers and burying his face into his flat hard mattress, mouth hung open in a silent cry. A tiny part of him felt disgusted at the hot feeling but the rest of him was far too tired to care. He fell asleep in his post-coital style bliss, the nerve endings in his entire body still tingling and his blood pumping fast. 

As if he'd never slept, Eren had light behind his eyelids. It must be morning, he thought, bitterly reminded that Levi was nowhere to be found. Especially not in his bed in a holding cell. A couple of the other men in the cell were sat upright on their bunks and a few had gotten up and were slowly milling around in the cell. Sonny and Bean remained distant and silent but their presence alone unsettled Eren. 

He heard a rustling to his side and there was an old man getting out from his bunk. Eren could smell the alcohol and urine on the man and he winced slightly in disgust as the man coughed up what may as well have been most of an entire lung. He had ratty clothes on and was probably homeless, or so Eren assumed, correct or otherwise. The man looked up at Eren with a gap-toothed grin. Eren smiled awkwardly and uncomfortably back at the man before turning his attention back to himself, realising that his underwear were now sufficiently crusty enough to make him even more uncomfortable for the rest of the day. He wasn't sure whether he'd have shower facilities, but the prospect of spending the day in day old clothes was the last thing on his list of concerns. After all, he'd spent years with only clothes changes that came as frequent as the changing seasons. 

He adjusted his underwear beneath his sheet, checking discreetly to see if there were any marks on the front. Seeing none, he slipped his legs off his bed and into his trousers which had been left on the floor. There was a young man on the opposite side of the room staring at him. He didn't recognise him, but the man called over anyway, a crooked grin on his slightly beaten face. The man had brown, almost blonde tipped, fair hair shaved into an undercut, leaving the top shaggy. 

"So uh, hey you?" He called. Eren looked up, surprised anyone was talking, no less to him. He had no business with these men. What did he want?

"Yeah?" 

"So why not enlighten us all... who's Levi?" The man said with a laugh. Suddenly Eren felt his cheeks turn bright red faster than a mosquito bite and it felt as if all eyes in the room were on him. Had he been _that_ noisy last night? Well obviously he had. He was mortified. 

_'Excuse me everybody while I die of embarrassment'_ Eren said to himself as he mentally walked out of the room. Back in reality however he was still sat on his bunk in his crusty underwear being called up on calling out someone's name (albeit it was quietly!) whilst masturbating last night. 

"Uh.." He started. The man laughed jovially, moving over to Eren's bunk and sitting down, slapping a hand on the boy's shoulder. Eren flinched at the physical contact, but fortunately he didn't keep his hand there. 

"Ha, don't sweat it, we're all men here." He said, holding his hand out. Eren looked at it carefully before taking and shaking. "I'm Eren." He added. 

"Nice to meet you Eren, I'm Jean." Eren simply nodded.

"So what you in for Eren?" The man asked, still sat on his bed. There was nothing else to do but sit around but still, Eren would have appreciated a little bit of space. He sat uncomfortably on his side of the bed, trying to subtly scoot over. He adjusted himself so it looked as if he were moving to face Jean, scooting his bum away and his legs toward the young man. 

"They didn't tell me." 

"Weird."

"What about you?" 

"Oh.. you know. Same old. I may have said something to someone and to prove a point they threw me in here." 

"How does that work?" Eren asked. He couldn't understand how someone could just casually throw someone in a jail cell. 

"Oh, I'm a trainee in the military. My training officer said he'd show me something about being such "an insufferable smart-ass" or some bull crap like that." Jean wafted his hands around loosely, rolling his eyes. His level of detail still didn't offer Eren any sort of understanding, but the fact he was in the military as a trainee piqued his interest. 

"Trainee?" Eren asked, just for clarity. He hoped Jean would elaborate, which, with the size of the man's mouth, he did. With pleasure. 

"Oh, yeah I'm in my second year now." 

"Did you sign up when you were sixteen?" 

"Sure did!" Jean chirped. Eren tilted his head, examining him. He had to admit the man had a nice body, although he didn't look his age. Jean furrowed his brows and stared back at Eren's curious expression.

"What you looking at?" He asked with a hint of defensiveness in his tone. Eren blinked and looked back at Jean.

"Oh, so you're seventeen turning eighteen?" 

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, me too, that's all. You look older." Eren shrugged. "I wanted to join the military when I was sixteen." He said.

"Why didn't you?" Jean said after grinning proudly at Eren's age comment.

"Haven't you read a newspaper in the last three weeks?" Eren asked, already deeming this man as a few sandwiches short of an intelligence picnic. Jean paused to stare at Eren, as if deciphering a massive, world changing, life altering puzzle. Suddenly his features dropped into surprise, followed by a huge grin. 

"Holy shit!" He exclaimed, earning a few glances in their direction from the other men in the cell as well as a passing police officer in the hall. Jean toned his voice down and repeated himself. 

"Holy shit, you're that kid!" Jean said, still shocked. "Like, right here, in the flesh... Damn, I even read your file. You look nothing like the photo with the long hair and all. So wait. What are you doing here?"

"Like I said, idiot. I don't know. They didn't tell me why they arrested me, just took me out of the hospital and into a white room and spent hours asking me pointless questions and not believing a word I said."

"Man, that's bull." Jean commented quietly after sighing heavily on Eren's behalf, turning his attention to the hallway as Eren did, their eyes following the officer with a tray of breakfast plates. Jean and Eren remained sat whilst the others went first. They'd not be able to get any food for a few minutes anyway so carried on talking.

"Yeah. I told them nothing but the truth but they still think I'm working with the Titans or some shit like that." 

"Yeah, that's lame. Almost as lame as this food they give us. Fucking sausages every day." 

"Well... it _is_ the national delicacy..." Eren smirked as the pair got up to get their food once the masses had returned to their seats, eating. "How long have you been in here?" He asked.

"I'm on my last day, been here a week."

"Ready to go home?" Eren asked in between mouthfuls.

"As ready as these shitty pre-cooked ready meals. It's just a shame its back to the barracks after this, as much as I love momma's cooking..." Jean said sarcastically, shovelling more of his breakfast into his mouth and leaving his plate on the floor beside Eren's bed once finished. He stood up and stretched out, the hem of his shirt lifting just off his hips in Eren's direct line of vision. Unable to control his raging teenage hormones, joint with the mouthful of sausage and Jean's next question, Eren could have died of embarrassment several times over in this life and the next. 

"So is Levi your boyfriend or something?" 

Eren swallowed his mouthful after chewing it far more than he needed to.

"No."

"Pff, I'm not buying it, pretty boy." Jean rested his hands on his hips and stood straight upright. It was a growing irritation Eren had noticed, that this guy's ego would probably need a double door to get out of this cell.

"It's none of your business." He retorted. Jean pulled a face. "So you can wipe that surprised look off your horse face and stop asking."

"Horse face? The hell?" Jean spat in irritation, bending over somewhat to direct his glare at Eren. 

"You heard me. It's none of your business so stop asking." 

"Jeez man, it's just a question. Figured they must be pretty hot if you're willing to jack off in public to the thought of them!" Jean laughed a dry, humourless laugh. 

In their increasingly heating argument, the two young men failed to notice the sound of footsteps approaching the cell door, their rising voices interrupted by an irritated "Kirstein!" 

Jean's back straightened in an instant and he stepped away from Eren's bed, looking up to spot a very pissed looking Captain stood there. The mortified look on Eren's face didn't go unnoticed by the lighter haired young man, so he looked between the two for a short moment. Eren could simply see the cogs turning in his long horse head.

Eren's brain bid him farewell and went to cry in a corner while he saw Jean fit the pieces together as a guess. 

" _That_ Levi? Ha! Oh god, Eren. That's classic!" Jean started, doubling over into laughter. "Ha, Captain Levi! Of _all_ people to beat off to!" Jean couldn't contain his laughter until Levi spoke up again from the other side of the bars, instantly straightening up as the officers opened the cell for the Captain.

"Kirstein, I can always arrange for you to stay another week." He warned as he approached, clearly ignoring the teenager's comment. That certainly caught Jean's attention, who wiped all traces of mirth from his face, Eren simply glaring at him the entire while, his cheeks probably redder than a sunburnt tourist. "Shadis is here for your sorry ass. Go." Jean didn't need telling twice. He marched quickly from the cell and one of the officers accompanied him whilst the other manned the cell gate.

Levi went to leave and turned to look pointedly at Eren. "You coming? You made bail." Eren tilted his head in confusion, his brain still wiping the snot and tears from it's embarrassed face as it returned to him along with his sense of presence. He dearly hoped Levi hadn't heard Jean's loud announcement before he'd arrived.

"Bail?" Eren was genuinely confused. Levi sighed and rolled his eyes, exiting the cell and walking down the hall. Eren got up and moved toward the still open gate, the officer there waiting for him. 

"You're free to go, kid," the officer assisted him quietly. Blinking in realisation, Eren sprung into action and briskly walked from the cell and into the same direction as the Captain. He easily caught up, although for a man with such short legs he had a long stride so Eren had to actively pay attention to keep up. Levi led Eren out from the old building and into the street where there was a military officials car parked, his father leaning against it speaking to Commander Erwin and another man, who seemed to wear a very similar uniform to the Commander. 

"Thank you Levi." Erwin said as the two approached silently. Levi got straight into the waiting car, leaving Eren with the others. The young man looked at his father, then to the new face as his father introduced him. 

"Eren, do you remember Nile?" Grisha asked. Eren looked at him. Sure, he seemed older now, with an unfortunately significant decrease in hair volume, but nevertheless Eren recognised him. Just. He'd only ever met the man a few times when he was younger. 

"Sort of..."

"It's these two men I owe my gratitude for getting you home safely." Grisha said, smiling at the pair. 

"If you need anything else please don't hesitate to call me." Nile said curtly. "I'm glad you're home Eren." 

"Thanks," Eren mumbled with a smile as Nile excused himself. Erwin waited patiently for the MP Commander to leave before he addressed Eren. 

"I'm sure you're both eager to get home, so I would like to invite you both to come and see me in a few days time. Grisha, you got my email, yes?"

"That's right." Grisha said with an unusually serious tone for the situation.

"Well then I suggest you take it easy for a couple of days and I'll see you both soon in my office." 

With that, Erwin joined Levi in the waiting car which departed shortly after, leaving Grisha and Eren on the street outside the police station, as free men. Grisha pulled Eren into a tight hug and the boy smiled, returning the gesture. 

"Come on, let's go. Sure it's not the home you left, but it's as close as I could keep it."

"You kept my things?" Eren asked as they parted. 

"Of course." 

"You didn't think I was dead?" 

Grisha smiled sadly. "Come on, there's a barber I want you to meet. We'll get you some clothes, too." 

At that, Eren smiled. Grisha explained that he had a civilian property rather than staying in the barracks with the soldiers. So long as he made it into work on time it didn't matter so much where he lived. He told Eren that he didn't live far from where they currently were, so they would make a couple of stops in the city centre and then just catch a bus with whatever bags they acquired along their way. 

As they walked through the streets the sun had just finished burning off the remnants of the morning fog, so the light illuminated everything brightly. Eren was able to get a better feel for the city than just watching it from a car window. It was the completely polar opposite from the jungle and he felt severely out of place. He didn't know how people interacted with one another in the city, so he just let his dad do most of the talking when they arrived at a barber's saloon. 

The saloon itself was simple, but had an aged feel to it. The floors were made of thick, robust floorboards and the walls were patterned with a stone coloured striped wallpaper. The walls were decorated with various vintage tailors scissors, sewing machines and odd garments. There was a hat rack by the till with a dark leather fedora resting on it with a black pinstripe blazer hanging there. There were a total of three chairs with mirrors opposite them although there only seemed to be one barber. 

"Grisha! I heard the news, is this him?" The barber called. He was a tall gentleman in a pair of black pinstripe dress pants, a white oxford shirt with black suspenders. His shirt was unbuttoned without a tie and he was wearing polished black brogues and had long black hair tied back into a tidy bun. He didn't look exactly clean shaven and there was an intensity to his facial features which Eren found slightly intimidating at first. He felt as if he'd seen the same look before but couldn't place it. It could have been any number of the Titans he had the pleasure of interacting with in the last several years. The man tapped his current client on the shoulder after a few tidying trims at the nape of their neck. He got up, dusted off and smiled at the man, heading over to the door to pay. The barber followed him and exchanged the cash, Grisha and Eren waiting patiently, chatting as they waited. 

"Yes, this is he. I wanted you to meet him and perhaps tidy him up a little." Grisha explained. The man smiled as he finished up his transaction and bid his customer farewell. He dusted his hands off and walked over, his brogues clacking against the wooden floors. "Eren this is Kenny, Kenny, Eren." Grisha introduced the pair and Kenny extended a hand to be shook. Eren saw no immediate reason not to, so he shook the man's hand. 

"Take a seat, gentlemen. Let's get you looking like a respectable young man." Kenny said, approaching with a sheet to throw around Eren's neck. Spotting the piece of fabric, Grisha waved his hand and got up to intercept before he reached the boy, taking it from Kenny. He nodded and left to get his scissors. Understanding Eren's circumstances with the collars, Grisha leaned over to Eren and asked if he was comfortable with having the garment around his neck, and whether he would be comfortable with being shaven and have his hair cut. Eren dryly replied that it seemed a little bit too late for asking such things, since he was already in the seat. Grisha smiled and threw the sheet around Eren's front, strapping together the velcro behind his neck before returning to his seat. 

Grisha asked Eren up to move towards the sinks and they began going through the motions of having his hair cut. Once washed and into the routine, Grisha sparked up a little conversation. 

"So Eren, Kenny here is Levi's uncle." Eren blinked and looked up at the man behind him in the reflection as he worked, a slight smile creeping onto his face. He felt strangely comfortable with the man whose hands were swift and skilled with his hair. 

"Like, _Captain_ Levi?" Eren asked. Grisha laughed.

"How many other Levi's have you met recently?" He jested. Eren smiled back awkwardly, tilting his head forward as per the fingers on the back of his head pushed gently.

"Yeah, he stays with me when he's on leave, or on rest days." 

"Like how Dad stays at his own place instead of the barracks?" 

"Precisely." Kenny confirmed, allowing Eren to tilt his head back. It felt as though there was a lot of hair leaving his head, chunks of about five inches falling over his shoulders and rolling down the fabric tenting his chest and arms. "Although he does travel a lot so I only see him a couple of times a month. As soon as he's back he's gone again." 

"Oh." Eren said, getting a little bit more comfortable with the conversation. "So do you live upstairs?" 

"That's right. There's a couple of floors up there, I tend to leave the top floor for Levi since I never really go up there unless it's for a good, uninterrupted dump." Kenny laughed and Eren couldn't believe how similar he was starting to find the two. Sure Kenny was a little softer around the edges, but he shared a similar sense of unexpected humour as the shorter man. "He's got the best... and cleanest toilet in the house." Kenny chuckled with a smile. 

"That doesn't surprise me." 

"Ah, that's right. Levi's squad was the one to bring you home. You must have had an amazing time in his warm company." Kenny said with only a trace of sarcasm, snickering quietly as he trimmed the loose hairs behind Eren's ears. He'd finished taking the length off and was now going back into it to tidy it up and layer it neatly. Their conversation came to a brief pause as Kenny blowdried Eren's hair, working back into it once it was dry. 

Once his hair was cut, Eren felt completely different. It was much shorter, falling just above his eyes and he had to admit he appreciated the level of attention to detail Kenny put into it. He felt as though he was really being taken care of, which was new. Kenny interrupted his appreciation for his new cut by adjusting his chair and tilting it backward, putting only the corner where the ceiling met the wall into his view. 

"You're alright, Eren." Grisha said quietly. Kenny held a hinged razor in line of Eren's sight.

"Time for a shave, young man." Kenny announced. Eren swallowed slightly but kept quiet and allowed him to dab foam all over his chin, cheeks and neck, proceeding to swiftly swipe the blade up along his throat and jawline with practiced ease. The tension and apprehension Eren briefly felt was gone as soon as Kenny got started. This man was clearly skilled and so Eren decided to trust in his skill. Knowing he was related to the very competent Captain also helped alleviate any stress he'd been experiencing. 

Kenny towelled the boy down and tilted him back up, dusting off his neck and shoulders with a small soft brush before removing the sheet. 

"This one's on the house for the young mister Yeager." Kenny said. Eren was still getting accustomed to this new concept of kindness. It had been so long since he'd experienced someone giving himself something for free and not expecting anything in return. 

"Thank you, Kenny." Grisha said. 

"So, Yeager senior, you up next?" Kenny asked, looking at Grisha who looked to Eren. Eren shrugged and smiled slightly and so Grisha nodded, taking a seat. Eren had only taken about twenty five minutes and Grisha only requested a trim, so he figured he'd take far less time. He was done in roughly fifteen minutes. 

After they had left and bid their farewells, Grisha took Eren into a local clothing store and picked him out about a month's worth of underwear, socks, vests and other essentials such as shirts, shorts and shoes. They ended up on a bus, as per Grisha's plans, with a good six bags of clothing, not including a few tailored items which were being delivered the next day. Eren felt somewhat overwhelmed by everything he needed, especially since Grisha had said he'd take him out to the food store tomorrow morning to pick things up like tooth brushes and toiletries. Once off the bus and a small walk later, they arrived at Grisha's small house. It seemed like a simple, modern house and Grisha informed Eren it was a new build, only twelve years old. 

Grisha gave Eren the 'grand tour', so to speak, telling him the locations of the toilets, where the mugs were in the cupboards, cutlery and how to work the shower, and finally showed him to what was now to be his bedroom. The room was simple, and bare, but it felt like home more than he'd ever imagine it would. There were a few trinkets and toys from his childhood sat on the single shelf along the top of the headboard of the single bed in the corner, and other than that there was little decoration. The room had what looked like the same dark green curtains Eren had in his previous bedroom. A pair of thick drapes with printed crossed wings on them, revealing the Scouting regiment's logo when they were drawn. 

Grisha excused himself, saying he would go and make dinner and he let Eren get comfortable. Eren sat on the end of his neatly made bed and looked around for a long while. He couldn't actually believe that he was home. He'd not yet truly felt his own freedom until this point and every swelling emotion that he'd experienced over the last few hours with his father since his release from holding burst out of him in the form of a huge smile, followed by a laugh. The first genuinely happy laugh he'd shared with the world since he was little. 

Sure, he'd laughed with Mikasa and his father at the hospital in these last few weeks, but only until now did he deeply feel the joy inside himself. 

So he let it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sausages became Ragako's national delicacy in this chapter. 
> 
> You know who you are..


	12. Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the [ cover art](http://agent-2-6.tumblr.com/post/133189272380/erwin-smith-and-boabertolt-in-ereririren-fanfic) for this chapter!

Eren had learnt that his new home consisted of himself, his father and Hange. Hange still baffled him as to what their true gender was, and even though he caught glimpses of what could have been certain body parts in certain lights, he never really could tell. It was the ultimate paradox he couldn't solve and he felt too embarrassed to ask outright. Hange and Grisha shared a bedroom down the hall from Eren's and the teenager had slowly started to get used to sleeping in a bed in a room by himself. He'd only had two days, after all. It would take time. 

These two days had gone by far quicker than he would have liked and he spent most of the time asking Grisha or Hange questions. Interrogating them on what could have arguably been the conglomeration of six years worth of missed school classes. He asked about Ragako, the people, the legal system, social structure, political leaders, how jobs worked, how the military worked, how transportation and trade operated. Hange was surprised by how inquisitive the boy was but nevertheless indulged every question. Grisha did the same, feeling he had no right to deny the knowledge. 

Eren was now after all, a citizen of his own country. A free man. Eren would also ask other questions such as basic mathematics questions or how bills were paid. He seemed hell-bent on figuring out and digesting every nugget of information based on how things worked, something he'd done as a child but never in so much detail. He had a deep desire to _understand_ how things worked, why people did what they did and how he should socially and acceptably place himself within all of it. 

It was the day of their meeting with Erwin Smith. Without asking for it, Eren was being shown how to knot a tie for the first time and was dressing into a suit Grisha had ordered for him the other day. It was a solid charcoal colour with a white shirt and a dark green tie. Alongside his new haircut and shave, Grisha helped him tidy his hair and taught him a few things about hair care, shaving and general male grooming, sparing no gritty details. Eren now had no end of various grooming products to try out. Grisha had even given him a bottle of oil which apparently held good scar-healing properties. The indent around the nape of his neck from the collar was still there, although it was slightly more visible since he'd had his neck shaved and hair cut. 

Once Eren was dressed and groomed, he smiled, looking himself up and down in the mirror. Kenny's words came back to him in that moment. _'Let's get you looking like a respectable young man.'_ A respectable looking young man he was. He'd been curious as to what the Commander could possibly want, so he felt undeniably nervous. 

"How do you feel?" Grisha asked, picking a loose hair from Eren's shoulder as they got into Grisha's car in the early afternoon. 

"Nervous?" Eren shrugged, thinking to himself it would be more accurate to comment that he felt about ready to shit a brick or five. Grisha pulled out, Hange waving from the door and smiling broadly, wearing their brightly coloured bath robe covered with printed rubber ducks. 

"Understandable. Commander Smith can seem intimidating." 

"It's not him I'm worried about," Eren mumbled half to himself. Grisha still caught it. 

"Then who?" He asked after a short pause, pulling the car around corners and through streets Eren did not yet recognise. 

"Mmh.. just... it doesn't matter. Never mind." Eren mumbled, not wanting to admit he was nervous about having to face Levi after the possibility that he had probably overheard Jean's loud mouth. Eren folded his arms and frowned. Grisha huffed in amusement. 

"You know if the wind blows your face will stick like that." He laughed lightly at Eren's serious expression. Eren frowned back at him. 

"It will not." He protested, not believing a word of it. Grisha simply smiled, pulling out onto a motorway style road with multiple lanes, casually overtaking occasional other vehicles. 

"Dad, do you know what the meeting is about?" Eren asked after observing his father drive in silence for about ten minutes, observing the roads and how he was handling the car, obeying road rules and the likes. 

"I have a slight idea." He mused aloud, only piquing the boy's interest further. It irritated him slightly that his father was giving him no details when he clearly had them. It was as if he were going into a test and the answers were right in front of him, only covered by his father's hand. All he had to do was move said hand, or open his mouth and Eren's stress levels could potentially be eased. 

"Aren't you going to tell me?" 

"I feel it would be best if I left that to the Commander. He has a much better way with words regarding these matters."  
Grisha shrugged, pulling an ID card out from his breast pocket and opening his window to swipe himself into the military facility across the bridge Eren had travelled from a few days ago. Eren sighed in temporary defeat and resigned to finding out these details once he was in the Commander's presence. He'd not hold back any questions, just as he had tortured Hange and Grisha these last couple of days. 

Driving through the military facility, Eren observed that it was a fairly bland complex consisting of uniform sandstone block buildings with tall paned windows, dirt roads and little greenery. The heat of the sun didn't help as it reflected it's brightness off of the light coloured sand, making everything feel brighter than it was. Eren spotted a formation of trainee soldiers jogging alongside the road they were driving on toward them and he instantly recognised Jean as they drove past. By the look on Jean's face he spotted Eren too as his eyes widened fractionally. Eren's attention was swiftly torn away from Jean when he spotted a blonde haired figure struggling to keep up at the rear of the formation. 

"Armin!" Eren exclaimed in the car as they drove past. He turned to keep his attention on what he thought could have been his childhood friend and then turned back to look at Grisha, who kept driving. 

"Ah, yes. He joined last year." 

"Why didn't you tell me he was here?" Eren asked. 

"You've spent the last two days asking every other conceivable question about the universe, it never came up in conversation." 

Their conversation was put on pause temporarily as Grisha addressed a soldier in a gatehouse to a walled off section of the military base.

"Yes, we have an appointment with Commander Smith in two hours. I need to take my son through civilian identification first though." Grisha said, handing over his printed email of their meeting request. The soldier seemed satisfied so buzzed the vehicle barrier open. Grisha took his paperwork back and drove around the small courtyard and parked against a wall without windows. The pair got out and the courtyard was warm with trapped sun. Eren straightened his jacket and winced as the wind whipping around the buildings attempted to mess his hair. They made their way into a side door and into a waiting room where Grisha proceeded to speak with the receptionist there. 

"And his birth certificate?" the receptionist asked. 

"Ah, here you are." Grisha handed the document over. Eren looked around the small room which was simply decorated with a single corner plant, a large indoor tree, and aerial photographs of various places in Ragako. It wasn't particularly exciting, nor were there any newspapers or magazines on the small coffee table, but there was a water cooler positioned between the leather sofa and chair positioned against the walls. 

"Take a seat, we'll have him processed shortly," the receptionist said and Grisha turned to take a seat on the leather chair. Eren followed suit and sat in the centre of the sofa. They must have waited for about twenty long minutes before Eren was called into a side room to have his weight and height measured, his photograph taken and his physical attributes detailed onto a report. Hair colour, eye colour, skin tone, etcetera. It was a dull process but by the end of the hour and a half, Eren was released with a set of civilian papers, an ID card and a national citizen's number, usually all otherwise issued to teenagers at age sixteen. 

Tucking his new identity into his jacket pocket, the pair made their way across the large courtyard, past Grisha's car and into another side entrance. All doors needed a military ID card to swipe them through. Grisha had just this. Being on-base medical, he had access to most places in case of an emergency, which came in useful and prevented the pair from waiting in the heat to be buzzed in. Once inside the pleasantly air conditioned building they walked down a simple corridor with wood panels decorating the lower half of the wall and dark green paint on top up to the ceiling. At the end of the corridor was a similar waiting room like the one they'd been in before, except a little larger, with more doors and joining rooms. 

Behind a short desk sat a familiar face, Moblit Berner. 

"Wow, hello Eren. I almost didn't recognise you there!" He exclaimed with genuine shock. A few good nights sleep, a bit of grooming and a full suit did wonders for Eren. He simply smiled in response, not sure how to react to a compliment whereas Grisha smiled broadly as a proud father would. 

"We're here to see Erwin." Grisha said. Eren remained standing this time, looking at the old fashioned dark green cloak from about forty years ago, mounted inside a frame on the wall beside Erwin's office door. Grisha was idly chatting to Moblit on the opposite side of the room while Eren faintly overheard voices within the office. It was muffled but Eren's hearing was astute enough to detect what was being said, especially as it was in a slightly raised, irritated voice. The voice was unmistakably Levi's.

"What the fuck, Erwin?" 

Erwin's response was much quieter than Levi's, but Eren would bet money that Levi was stood toward the back of the room as he had consistently demonstrated as a habit. Eren couldn't make out the response as Grisha laughed at the exact same moment. 

"You do realise that is nearly fucking impossible? That brat hasn't got _half_ the experience I had."

"I'm aware," was the clipped, calm response.

"And you think he'll do it? First try?"

"I'm sure you'll make it happen. We need-" 

Another laugh from behind him disrupted his eavesdropping, at which point, having realised they were speaking about himself, Eren decided to back away from the door. He pushed his hands through his hair, pushing a few loose strands away from his eyes and remained stood, close to Moblit's desk. 

"He should be finished any minute now." Moblit said, and as if by coincidence the door flung open and a very angry looking Captain marched out. He was in slightly more casual clothing, just a pair of black dress pants and a black shirt, presumably from his uniform, just missing a fair few items. His hair had been styled away from his face, revealing his undercut as all hair had been combed back neatly and fixed into place. The man stopped in his tracks upon seeing Eren and his usually unreadable expression faltered for a split second of what looked like surprise. 

He pressed his lips together into a thin line and turned to Erwin who was stood in his office doorway, glaring daggers at his superior. 

"See what I fucking mean, Erwin? How the hell am I supposed to work like this?" He muttered to himself as he left the room, stomping slightly like a scorned child. 

Erwin simply smiled at Grisha and Eren. The pair smiled back, knowingly. The Captain wasn't known for his approachability and warm personality. All people present understood as a door down a separate hallway slammed shut. 

"Do excuse Levi. Please, gentlemen, come in." Erwin said. He too was wearing somewhat more casual attire, wearing black trousers, a white shirt and a green bolo tie. Erwin's office was panelled similarly to the remainder of the interiors, dark green paint above wood. He had a collection of various box framed, preserved and pinned creatures hanging from the wall. Butterflies, beetles, different types of mosquito. His office felt strangely welcoming, despite the large collections of animal related bric-a-brac on almost every surface. The man had a collection of what looked like fish bones and large jaws on shelves above a large aquarium on the side of the room. His desk was fashioned from a dark, rich, solid looking wood and housed a reasonably tidy stack of file trays, a computer and a telephone, (alongside a few more objects).

Despite the busy decor, as Eren stepped into the man's office his eyes were drawn instantly to the huge trio of ceiling-high tanks behind him on the rear wall. The teen's eyes were glued as he stepped forward and Erwin allowed him to move behind his desk to look into them. Each one was half full of various logs and foliage and there was a large pool of water at the bottom of each. Within the tanks he spotted a snake curled up at the bottom in the water of one and another coiled around a large branch within the next. They were truly beautiful. 

Eren hadn't seen one of these snakes since he was in the deepest parts of the jungle and he smiled to himself. He particularly liked the one coiled up in the water. A gorgeous light coloured pit viper with piercing blue eyes. 

"That one is called Annie, probably the most reserved, although most deadly." Erwin filled in. Eren smiled again and Erwin joined the boy by the vivariums and pointed to the larger snake on the branch in the centre tank. "That is Reiner, he's the most confident of the three and Bertolt is always hiding somewhere, usually at the bottom under all the logs. He's quite shy."

Eren crouched down beside the furthest left (and largest) vivarium and as Erwin had said, there was a large brown and green snake coiled underneath the foliage at the bottom, staying as hidden as possible. "Hello..." Eren said quietly to the three snakes. He recognised Bertolt as a large non-venomous type which constricted instead, whereas the other two were smaller, venomous vipers. They were all reasonably young snakes, too.

"Incredible." Eren breathed out before snapping his attention back to the Commander. "Ah! sorry Sir!" He scurried around to join his father and Erwin took this as his sign to begin their meeting. They all sat and shortly afterwards Moblit let himself in with a pitcher of water and three glasses. Everyone thanked him and he excused himself. 

"Thank you for agreeing to see me so soon. You are looking well, Eren." 

Eren shifted in his seat nervously as Erwin's desk phone rang, interrupting them. He answered it, listened for a moment and replied with a curt "Two minutes. Let yourself in."

"Anyway, I wanted to see you with regards to the terms on Eren's release. You may not be aware of this but the highest members of every military branch, trade and political party have been in heated discussions since the day you were brought back to the city." Eren furrowed his brows, leaning in to listen closely. Grisha sat upright also, glasses of water being tentatively sipped.

"So there were a lot of political and trade figures afraid of you." Erwin said pointedly to the boy who seemed surprised. 

"They feared you were co-operating with the Titans, posing as a missing child in some... cruel joke. However, personally knowing your father we knew that not to be the case. Anyway, to put it nicely these discussions caught fire and burnt a little too hot on the heels of a few Military Police officers, leading to your arrest. It took some time in convincing them otherwise. Once you'd been questioned however we managed to strike a deal, which is where I wanted your opinions." 

Grisha and Eren glanced over their shoulder at the opening door, seeing Levi letting himself in as instructed, then looked at one another very briefly before turning back for the Commander to continue. 

"So we have got two options. Grisha you are already in agreement with one of these options as per our last phone call," Grisha nodded in affirmation. Eren was surprised to learn he already had all of the details. "So that really leaves the choice down to you, Eren."

"What are the options?" Eren asked carefully.

"The first option is you decline our second option and I will be obligated to return you to holding at the station, where you may be charged for something you didn't do. I'm sure with all of the evidence, you would be found not guilty and discharged to pursue a normal life. However if charged this could severely delay or possibly prevent your entry to the military."

Eren's mouth fell open. "You don't believe I'm telling the truth!" He said, sounding upset. Grisha placed a hand on his shoulder which was abruptly shaken off. He didn't want to be touched. 

"It's simply a precaution, more for the people observing your progress more than anything else." Erwin clarified. Eren seemed ready to stay quiet, so he carried on. 

"The second option, which is arguably far more attractive and already has your father's consent, is you apply to join the military. Straight away."

Erwin paused to let it sink in but Eren thought it was a no-brainer, instantly. 

"I'll do that one." He said in a hurry. Levi scoffed from the back of the room.

"You may wish to hear the rest first, Eren." Grisha said softly, as if treading carefully. What were the other conditions? Was it that bad?

"You would firstly have to pass the standard physical entry exam to become a trainee. Until you have passed the much more in-depth regimental entry test, you are to be supervised, twenty-four seven. That was the MP's condition on granting you bail."

"So what, until I'm twenty-one?" Eren asked incredulously, assuming it would be no different to going to jail, being watched over for years like he'd done the last several. He knew in an instant they wouldn't want to provide actual manpower for this, assuming they would 'collar' him, somehow. 

"The legislation changed three years ago. You can now enlist at sixteen as per normal but you can begin serving with your regiment of choice at eighteen, only after passing their own unique set of entrance examinations. Those two years prepare trainees for these tests." 

"That's like what... four, almost five months?" 

"Yes. Once you hit eighteen next year and provided you pass the physical entry exam to become a trainee, you will become eligible to take the entrance examinations for the Garrison or the Scouts. If you fail this test you will need to wait another two months, remaining as a trainee, before being able to take the examination again. There is no limit to the number of times you can re-test, but each one must have two months between them. A lot of people are not ready after the two years, especially for the Scouts. A lot of recruits that fail our test tend to then take the Garrison examination, finding themselves there instead. Once you have joined a regiment you can of course opt to take the test for a different regiment. Passing their test will enable you to transfer." 

"Sounds simple enough..." Eren mused aloud, not thinking for a second that he would ever contemplate joining the Garrison as a plan B or cop out because the Scouting regiment test was 'too hard'. He'd prove his mettle. He _would_. 

"Hmm." Erwin simply smiled, giving the impression to Eren that these tests would be more difficult than he'd like to imagine. 

"So what will I be tested on to join the Scouts?" Eren asked. It was clear he was already agreeing to the second option of being supervised until he passed his way into the Scouts, however long that could take. 

"Oh, simple things," Erwin mused aloud. "Team work, literacy, numeracy, problem solving and of course physical aptitude. That is the general jist of it. Top line, you could say. There are also no limit to the number of mock exams you may take. These are graded by myself or Levi. We will give you your results and advise you in a formal interview of your results." 

"Who are the real tests graded by?" Eren asked. 

"Darius Zackly, Levi and myself. Jointly." Erwin said. 

"Oh. He's the military head, right?" 

"Very astute of you, Eren. That is correct." Erwin hummed, smiling slightly in amusement. Grisha smiled slightly, knowing Eren had only just learnt that information yesterday when grilled about the country's leaders at the breakfast table as though it were an ordinary, everyday occurrence. 

"Okay..."

"I understand if you have to take some time to think about it." Erwin started. 

"No." Eren cut him off. "I mean, No Sir. I already know which one I want to choose." He said. "I do have one more question though." 

"Anything, please. I will try my best." Erwin said. By now he'd relaxed slightly into his chair and the glasses of waters had almost been emptied. Erwin offered to pour the pair another glass, both declined so he topped his own back up. 

"Who would my supervisor be and how would I be monitored?" Eren asked. Levi coughed from the back of the room, gaining everyone's attention, but said nothing, leaving the question answering to his superior. 

"Captain Levi would personally oversee all of your training." 

Eren blinked, turning to look over his shoulder. 

"We had discussed various officers as options and we had to rule out Hange Zoe as their personal relationship with your father could potentially be seen as detrimental to their judgement when supervising. I figured you two already had somewhat of a rapport already, so..." Erwin let the sentence hang in the air, giving the teenager a moment for it to soak in. Levi took this as his cue to move closer to the table, sitting into the large leather armchair beside the vivarium, facing the two Yeagers. "I assure you, his record more than speaks for itself. The higher ups who want to see you imprisoned would have no solid ground to stand on should he be the one to supervise you."

"So... where would I stay?" Eren asked cautiously when Levi said nothing. He couldn't decipher what was going on in the shorter man's thoughts through his stony expression, although he could only assume Levi was less than pleased, judging by his earlier bad mood. 

"Like hell am I staying in the barracks." Levi said matter of factly. 

"You would live in his location of choice. He has a private quarters here, or a house in the city. You would be required here by role call each morning at seven, so whichever suits you both the most." Erwin said. Levi seemed completely indifferent, which unsettled Eren slightly. He didn't want to be an inconvenience to the man he admired, let alone be in the way or resented for being forced onto his personal space. 

"Um... Is that not going to be a problem. I mean, living with you?" Eren asked Levi. The man shrugged, helping himself to Eren's empty glass of water. 

"You done with this?" He asked. Surprised by the change in topic, Eren blinked in mild confusion before realising and swiftly nodded. Levi took the glass and poured himself a glass of the remaining water in the pitcher, deliberately turning the glass and sipping from the opposite side Eren had. The teenager waited nervously for Levi's response, which came as a simple: 

"Orders are orders. If I'm ordered to babysit a brat for four, most probably more, months, then I do it. No questions asked." His response didn't help to ease Eren's discomfort, feeling as if the Captain felt obligated to take care of him. 

"Levi would be in charge of your initial training should you pass the entry physical. Once a trainee, you have over a year of work to catch up on in four months if you plan on taking the test as soon as you hit eighteen." Erwin said. Levi was now staring into the vivarium, watching Annie as she slithered out from her pool of water and into a small mossy covered pile of rocks, disappearing from sight. 

"Do you think you can do it?" Erwin asked. 

Eren narrowed his eyes slightly and looked up at the Commander with a burning determination in his eyes. 

"I don't think I can, I know I can." 

"Good. It is settled then. I will arrange for your physical. I will see if the examiners has any slots free this afternoon."

"Thank you." Grisha said with a smile, turning to his son. "Are you sure about this?" 

"I get the feeling you would have chosen this one for me too." Eren said. Grisha simply nodded once, removing his glasses to clean them as Erwin made a phone call there and then. It surprised Eren slightly how little time this man wasted. He was very much a results driven individual, and he could sort of see and understand why he was in the position he was in. He couldn't see Levi performing that role. The soldier seemed to suit him better, although Eren hadn't seen Erwin in combat. Yet. 

"Yes, thank you. I will have some of that sent over too, I know how much you enjoyed the last bundle." Erwin laughed softly into the receiver, as if having a light conversation with a familiar friend or colleague. "Yes, yes. Thank you for that, it means a lot that you can fit him in such short notice. Okay. Goodbye." 

Erwin set the receiver down. "They'll see you in ten minutes. Levi would you kindly walk him over?" 

"Sure." He said, standing up and placing his glass on Erwin's desk next to the empty pitcher. 

"Grisha I'll have him back to you before you know it. The test takes about two hours." Erwin said lightly. Grisha nodded, gave Eren a reassuring pat on the shoulder, his hand lingering fondly for a moment just before Eren got up to join Levi.

Eren followed Levi out and down a new corridor. He swiped the pair out from a rear door, passing a few other soldiers through the doorway, all of whom greeted the Captain warmly. Despite his chilly demeanour, people seemed to like him, even if his only response to their chirpy greetings was a nod and a hum. Levi led Eren out of the building which backed onto yet another closed courtyard. This one however was much larger and contained several different areas for running, outdoor free weights, obstacle courses and climbing equipment. There were also some triangular posts erected in the corner with soldiers practicing their balance with the grappling systems Eren had witnessed Levi's team using.

The sun on their backs was hot and Eren started feeling uncomfortable in his suit, his body not accustomed to wearing many layers. Looking around, the soldiers training in the yard were all wearing Scout uniforms. This must have been their exercise area. 

"What's the test really like?" Eren asked as they walked through the heat. 

"If someone like me could pass it in a similar situation to you, you'll do just fine." Levi said, irritatingly not giving anything away. The way he'd phrased it didn't leave any space for questioning, so any curiosities Eren had would have to wait. Besides, if he passed this physical test he'd have to live with Levi for the next four months as a minimum. He'd have plenty of time for idle chit chat, he thought. 

"If you pass I'll give you the grand tour." Levi said. Eren hummed and kept absorbing his surroundings, taking note of various moves the training men and women were using against one another in the sparring circles as they passed. Once they had crossed the training yard, Levi buzzed them into a large building on the opposite corner, taking him up a narrow staircase and into a white-walled clinical area with a small waiting room. 

"Are you okay with a physician touching you?" Levi asked. Eren hesitated for a short moment before carefully nodding. "Did you want me to stick around?" He then asked quietly. Eren's eyes widened a little but he found himself nodding anyway. He appreciated the gesture and likely trusted Levi more than whoever was going to be looking him over shortly, poking and prodding him. 

"Yeager. Entry physical." Levi said to what looked like another solider behind a desk. Eren briefly thought to himself they were well organised here, with so many administrators. He wondered if the other military divisions were much of the same process, or even if businesses in Ragako operated in a similar fashion. All questions for another day, stored into Eren's longer term memory to be retrieved later. Levi leant over the desk, speaking under his breath to the soldier there who proceeded to make a phone call immediately afterwards. 

"Hello. Are you free for a physical? Yes. Within the next.. ten..." Levi gave them a stern look, "five minutes? Yes? Great. We're here now." 

Levi nodded in thanks and Eren was sure he saw him wink at the man. He turned to look at Eren with what could have been a smirk on his face. Whatever he'd just done, he looked strangely pleased with himself in an unnervingly mischievous way. Eren swallowed thickly, dreading what was to come. Before he had time to comprehend what had been done, a familiar face with amber eyes and a tidy bun of light ginger hair appeared through the corridor holding a clip board. 

"Hello! I'm Ms Ral, I'll be performing your- Eren!" Petra exclaimed, jaw dropped, walking quickly over to the boy to get a good look at him. Levi smirked at the fact she was very clearly restraining herself from hugging him, her smile stretching from ear to ear. 

"Oh my goodness, Eren, look at _you_!" Petra said excitedly, stroking the young man's face and admiring his new hair cut and suit. "Gosh you sure do clean up well." 

"Heh, thanks?" Eren smiled back, feeling a little bit awkward once again at all of the positive attention. 

"Right, well! We have a physical booked for you. If you would like to come this way." Petra said cheerily, holding her clip board against her chest as she led the two men down the hall and into a large white room containing six plastic covered medical tables with thin cloth curtains railed around each of them. Two were closed and Eren could hear voices behind them, the rest were open. At the back of the room in the centre was a set of what looked like scales, and there was a room toward the rear behind a glass door containing two treadmills, complete with monitors at their sides. Eren could see and hear the thumping from one probable candidate running on one of them, hooked up to said monitors as an attendant examined them. 

"Just here is fine, take a seat on the table if you wouldn't mind." Petra said. Eren obeyed and carefully propped himself up onto the plastic bed. Levi stood to his side as Petra drew the curtain all the way around their small area, to give a little bit of privacy. 

"Now Eren if you would kindly fill this form out for me that would be wonderful. I'll be back in about ten, fifteen minutes." She said, handing him the clip board and a pen. He looked at it and furrowed his brows. The questions were simple enough but he struggled with understanding some of them upon reading them at first glance. Taking the pen to the paper he answered the more simple questions such as his age, name and birth date, smoking and drinking habits, basic medical background questions. 

Cringing internally, he turned to Levi with what could have been a pained expression on his face. Levi perked an eyebrow and looked down at the board he was holding. 

"What's this?" Eren said, pointing at a word. 

"An allergy. Does anything make you sick if you eat it?" Levi kindly explained. Eren paused to think. 

"I can't think of anything." He said eventually with a shrug. He stared back at his sheet for a long moment, not writing anything. He looked up when Levi moved around his front to sit next to him on the bed. 

"What else don't you understand?" 

"Oh.. um." Eren felt his cheeks turn warm having the Captain so close, leaning into his side as he looked at the board in Eren's hands. Eren briskly turned the paper so Levi could get a better look. 

"Mental illness?" Eren said, pointing at a box-ticking question requesting to know whether he'd been diagnosed with any forms of schizophrenia, bi-polar disorders, clinical psychosis, eating disorders or similar conditions. Levi, having known the results of Eren's initial mental evaluation, suggested he tick 'no' to all of them, but to write 'see medical file' in the comment box below listed as 'other'.

"Thanks..." Eren mumbled. Despite his embarrassment he appreciated the man's help. Levi led him through the remainder of the questions and just as they finished the last page Petra re-emerged through the curtain with a smile on her face. Eren extended the clip board back and Petra gave it a quick look over, nodding in approval that it had all been filled out correctly, only prompting Eren to sign and date it. 

The remainder of the test consisted of Petra taking Eren's blood pressure, a small amount of blood, a urine sample and testing various other bodily functions, questioning him on almost every aspect of himself. Some were a little bit embarrassing, others were okay. Once the physical examination was over and Petra had everything she needed, she led him and Levi through to the end of the room to take his weight and then into the room with the treadmills. 

"If you could please remove your shirt." Petra said. Eren glanced to Levi for a short moment and the man simply gave him a nod, remaining quiet otherwise as Petra worked. 

"I hope you realise Petra that your father won't leave me alone." Levi said, a hint of amusement in his voice as Eren carefully unbuttoned his shirt after removing his tie and jacket. He laid everything carefully on a chair before stepping up to Petra who started sticking pads to his chest. With all of the lash marks and scars, he felt terribly insecure without his shirt on.

"Is this about that so-called date again?" Petra sighed.

"Yeah." Levi said. 

"Are you two..?" Eren said before he could stop himself. Petra looked up at him with a smile.

"Gods no, no offence Levi."

"None taken." 

"We're just colleagues. We went out for drinks _one_ time, like, years ago and Levi ended up staying at my house for the night and now my dad is convinced he's my boyfriend." Petra chuckled as Levi groaned and rubbed his cheek. 

"Yeah, and he keeps calling and asking when I'm going to propose, because just in case, I have his blessing." Levi added, grinning. It was unusual to see the Captain smiling like this. Eren thought to himself that he must have a close relationship with Petra to be receiving personal phone calls from her dad. It only fed his doubt that his current object of teenage infatuation was in fact playing for the opposite team, disappointing him slightly. Petra directed him onto the treadmill and gave him a quick relay of the instructions, how to stop it, etcetera. She would gradually speed it up to test his heart rate. Seemed simple enough as he began with a slow walk. 

"Yeah, my father is going a little bit senile. Dementia." Petra told Eren as he walked on the spot. 

"What's that?" Eren asked. Petra explained. "Oh..." was all he could muster in response to the new information, frowning slightly at the thought. 

"So yeah, why don't you change my number in his phone to Oluo?" Levi said. Petra blinked away from observing Eren and slapped Levi's arm. 

"Hey!" 

"Well it's true. Don't think I haven't seen the pair of you in the mess hall." Levi said with a playful glint in his eyes. 

Petra's cheeks flushed bright pink and her eyes went wide. She looked mortified, as if exposed. Eren couldn't help but smile at the lighthearted conversation. Yet another side to the Captain he'd not been privy to before. He definitely wasn't as stuck-up as he first appeared. He took his job seriously and unfortunately that was the only place in which Eren had ever interacted with him. He dearly hoped he passed this test, even if to see more of this side of the man of his dreams, (literally).

The treadmill test sped up, Petra noting down her scribbles and engaging in light chit chat about other soldiers, Petra's work, Levi's boring paperwork and Erwin's eyebrows even came into the conversation at some stage, making all three of them laugh. Well, Levi snorted in amusement more than laughed but Eren was gaining valuable insight into the man who he may end up living with. 

Once Petra was satisfied with Eren's running, she slowed the machine and got him to walk back to a lower heart rate and offered him a glass of water and a small hand towel for when he was finished. He stepped down from the treadmill and wiped the small glazing of sweat from his neck and face, then under his arms. Levi called Petra outside the glass door for "a word" as Eren was left to put his shirt back on. He turned his back from the pair stood outside as he got dressed, but couldn't help but get the feeling that there were eyes on him as he did so. 

He slipped his tie back on with reasonable ease as he didn't completely unknot it, tightening it before slipping his jacket back on. Once he was finished he turned to see Levi and Petra facing his way and speaking quietly, so he opted to direct his attention toward an anatomy chart on the wall. Trying to read all of the names for all of the muscles just confused him, but fortunately he was drawn away by a tapping of knuckles against the glass and Petra beckoning him out. 

"Thank you Eren, that's all." Petra said. "I'll let Erwin know as soon as the blood and urine tests come back," she directed to Levi who nodded once. "As soon as we get the all clear on your tests, we'll let you know." 

"Okay. Thank you Petra. It was nice to see you again." Eren said with a smile, wondering what was going to come next. As it turns out, Levi was to guide him back outside to return him to Erwin's office. Once back out in the sunshine, Levi stared at Eren for a moment before pulling a pair of sunglasses out from his shirt pocket and slipping them on.

"What is it?" Eren asked, feeling pensive.

"The fact that you can't even fucking dress yourself properly." Levi said, raising his hands to eye level to tighten Eren's tie and straighten out the knot. Eren let him, although he couldn't help but acutely feel every movement of the fabric around his neck. He clenched his jaw shut and balled his hands into fists as Levi adjusted the furnishing, willing the uncomfortable feeling away. He'd try his best to appear as nonchalant as possible. 

"What now? You need to take a shit or something?" Levi asked, seemingly glaring at Eren's pained expression. 

"Nope. All good. Bowels are empty." Eren said through clenched teeth in a hurry, mentally kicking himself and cursing himself under his breath for telling Levi the status of his bowel contents. Levi just stared at him for a short moment before taking off, walking back in the direction of Erwin's office. 

Once returned, Erwin thanked Levi who bid his farewells and returned to his office and Grisha was called back up from wherever he'd been killing the time to come and take Eren home. 

"How do you think you did?" Grisha asked of his son in the car. 

The boy shrugged as he gazed out of the window, loosening his tie.

"I dunno."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Tumblr](http://agent-2-6.tumblr.com).


	13. Keys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> p.s. I won't be slowing down updates during December.

Eren found himself staring into Erwin's fish tank. He'd been invited in with his father once more to discuss the results of his physical, and once announcing that he had in fact passed and was able to begin training, the man had left to fetch some paperwork from a printer. 

He'd been gone for about twenty minutes. 

The teenager found himself staring at the small tropical fishes, darting in and out between live coral and nipping at the glass, eating whatever minuscule particles were there to be had. He was reminded of how the fishes would dart around under the ripples of the boats in the rivers, the midday sun flashing across their multicoloured scales. He sighed heavily, realising he actually missed the forest quite a bit. He understood how everything there worked. What was poisonous, what was not. How to behave in order to not die. Survival was his savvy. Civilisation and paperwork and procedures were not. With a heavy sigh he turned back to his father who was still sat down sipping his glass of water, a concentrated look on his face. 

"Dad." 

"Yes?" 

"I kinda wanted to spend more time with you." Eren stated, speaking his mind. His father sighed and nodded slowly, looking up at his son. 

"Yeah, me too. We'll have to arrange times to meet up. You'll be able to see me on base." He shrugged. He was a little bit disappointed also, that their free time together after so long had not even lasted a week. The three weeks in the hospital were great for catching up and talking, but there were so many things Eren wanted to experience and be shown and taken to. He supposed he wouldn't have time for sightseeing however since he'd be busy preparing to join the Scouts. Whatever landmark in the world was out there, it wouldn't distract Eren's attention from his ultimate goal. 

"We'll figure something out." Eren said, not sure how they'd work it out but at the same time not willing to spend more energy on it than he already had. 

"Yeah, just focus on getting that test under your belt first. I'll help however I can." 

"Did you have to do it?" 

"Yes, but I took a technical test for on-base medicinals, not infantry. The two are very different." Grisha explained. Eren hummed and nodded. It was a shame his father wouldn't be able to help, he'd been enjoying his company with Hange for the last three days. The sound of footsteps brought the men's attentions back to the topic at hand and Erwin returned to behind his desk with a small envelope of paperwork. 

"Apologies for the delays, gentlemen. Everything is done. I have arranged for your induction, Eren. Welcome to the military trainees." The Commander laid out a sheet of paper in front of Eren as he returned to his seat, leaning toward the desk to take a look at it. It was an itinerary for the following week, five days from today. 

"Your living arrangements have been made with the Captain, and he'll be here to welcome you and give you a tour two days before your induction. That way you have time to settle in. He will also take you through what the Scouts aptitude test will... _detail_." Eren nodded along, calculating how many days away it was. He'd have four days until he needed to move in with Levi, so upon leaving Erwin's office, Grisha decided it was their best opportunity to squeeze in as many different things as they could. Eren protested, claiming he wanted to prepare himself but Grisha had none of it. 

"This is the one opportunity I will get to have you to myself for four solid days. I don't plan on spending all of it in the city." Grisha had told him, piquing the boy's interest. 

"Where are we going?" 

"I know a few places you'll enjoy." He said with a smile. 

"Uhh, this isn't going to be some boring old man thing is it?" 

"Says you, the seventeen year old who asked me how to file taxes." Grisha laughed, earning a scoff and an arm fold from his son who rolled his eyes, smiling anyway. 

"Fine, fine. I'll trust you." 

"Good. Now I'll go get some dinner on." 

"Hey dad?" Eren called before Grisha could leave. 

"Yeah?"

"Mind if I help?" He wanted to learn how to cook. Grisha smiled broadly. 

"Of course!" 

So there it was, the trio of Grisha, Hange and Eren sat around their solid wood dining table, all but inhaling their bowls of stew and home baked bread. The vegetables were all cut into different shapes, the meat was all different sizes, but it was delicious nonetheless. 

"You've definitely gotten better since I was a kid." Eren said with a grin as he shovelled more food into his mouth. 

"Yeah, Hange taught me a thing or two." Grisha admitted. Hange mouthed the words "thank you" to Eren, earning themselves a playful elbow from the doctor. Eren was pleased that Hange seemed to make his dad happy. 

The following day Grisha drove Eren to a small city airport on the outskirts of the city, close to the Rose district. They boarded a very small plane, seating no more than ten people as it flew north, out into the countryside. No matter how deeply Eren attempted to pry, the man gave nothing away as to their destination. Only forty minutes later, when the plane landed did Eren finally realise where they were. With his jaw hanging open ever so slightly and a cool breeze whipping past his face as the plane drove away, Eren was left with a large village in the distance at the far side of the field they'd landed in. 

The pair walked together in comfortable silence on their approach to the village and Eren found himself walking familiar streets as if in a completely new body. His feet had trodden these same paths, but he was traveling them now in new, grown feet. Everything seemed further down or higher up or smaller than he remembered. The entire village felt the same, but looked different from his new angle.

"I see some things have changed..." Eren commented, pointing out a few newly built houses that hadn't been there almost seven years ago. 

"Yeah, it's grown quite a bit." Grisha said, leading the way down a narrow path between two plots of bee hives. The scents and sounds and sights were so familiar and welcoming. All he could remember in this moment was following his mother up these same well walked dirt paths up the hilly terrain and back up to the village. The sun was on his back and Eren could do nothing but smile as his old street came into view. The roads were still fashioned from the same cobbles here and there, although a few of the houses had since converted from thatching to tiles. 

The moment that truly took his breath away was having his old home come into view. The pair of men stood still and just looked at it. Eren's final memories of this place had been of panic and fear, anger and desperation. He wasn't quite sure how to feel now, but the main emotion building within him came close to being described as a strange sense of relief. 

"Would you like to go inside?" Grisha asked, pulling Eren away from his thoughts. 

"You kept it?" 

"Yes. I only visit once every season though, to ensure everything is still in one piece." 

Eren nodded eagerly and Grisha approached the steps and unlocked the front door, swinging it open. Eren swallowed thickly and followed, Grisha letting him enter first. As he looked around at the disused space full of a dust sheet covered abundance of furniture, his mind instantly went to upstairs. 

Before his brain would register what his feet were doing, Eren was stood in front of the doorway in which he'd been carried out from, kicking and screaming. He stared blankly into the room, eyeing the corner where his mother last stood, guarding him from the rebels. Grisha remained downstairs, checking the windows for broken panes and checking the lock on the back door. He gave Eren the space to return downstairs in his own time.

Eren moved through the room and stood by the window where he'd last stood with his mother. He knelt down and pressed a hand to the wall below the window and frowned, his brows knitting together tightly. This is exactly why he had no time for sightseeing. He swore he'd kill every last one of them if given the chance, he planned on going through with it. He pondered on why he wanted to join the military in the first place, before he'd been kidnapped and suddenly all of his vengeful thoughts were enhanced by his passion to set things in his country straight. It was as if his rage about the death of his mother had blinded him to the bigger picture, which he could now see in blinding colours.

He'd grown up in an unfair world, where people lived in fear and hopelessness. He stood, further solidifying his resolve to put his words into action as soon as possible. He took one last look at the spot near the window, then cast his gaze across the dusty room, then left. He didn't need any more closure than that. He took his time moving through the old house, remembering only warm memories of this place and their family life before the raid. He pushed the rear door open only to find his father in the far rear of the garden, staring out over the fields between the trees toward the wide river.

As he walked through it, Eren observed that the garden had grown significantly, various palm trees and ferns lining the sides and many a tropical flower littered around the outskirts of the well kept grass. Grisha probably had a gardener coming around every so often. Who knew. It didn't much matter, because his mother had loved this space of hers and Grisha had somehow kept it up beautifully. 

"Hey." Eren said, the sun warming both of their backs as it peeked through the trees. 

"Hey Eren." Grisha said in return, not taking his eyes from his gazing. 

"The garden looks nice." 

"Yeah... Armin's grandfather would come by every week to take care of it." 

"Oh, that's nice of him." 

"He needed something to help with the loss. Gardening tends to keep his mind occupied, it became a habit after so long."

"Does he still do it?" 

"Not any more, but it's become somewhat of a habit for the villagers to keep an eye on the place for me." 

"But you live in the city now, why keep it?" 

Grisha paused for a long moment before turning to his son. "Because I wanted to give this house to you if you returned." He said with a smile. Eren's eyes widened as Grisha presented him with the front door key, an ornate object made of solid iron. 

"It's all we have left of Carla. I'd like for you to make use of it one day. It doesn't need to be straight away, and I'll keep the maintenance up on it." 

"I love it." Eren interrupted him, taking the key and holding onto it tightly before pulling his dad in for a long hug, one which the older man was more than happy to return in earnest. 

"Hey Dad?" Eren asked as they pulled apart. "Where was Mum buried?" 

Grisha looked up at his son and smiled slightly, turning his attention to the house.

"You're standing on her." Grisha said, causing Eren to flinch and leap away from the spot he'd been stood on, a mortified look on his face as his father simply laughed heartily at him.

"What?!" 

"We spread her ashes around the garden."

"Oh..."Eren said, looking around at the garden they were in, feeling strangely surrounded and looked down upon, as if his mother were there with him right now. Grisha simply smiled for a long moment as Eren looked around at the garden and back up at the house, admiring it. 

"I love it." Eren finally said. 

"Great." 

Eren and Grisha then spent the rest of the day before their flight back catching up with neighbours who were over the moon about Eren being home safe. A lot of the older generations of Shiganshina were still living in the village, whereas the youths had either moved to the city or joined the military. Few remained to attend the bees and fields with their parents. Eren had discreetly asked his father on their way back to the landing strip whether Shiganshina still got raided and he nodded, telling Eren they had become much less frequent, but still occurred. Even the thought of more children being taken away like he was sent bubbles of rage coursing through his blood to hide what was a very distinct pang of sadness and melancholy. 

The next couple of days were spent driving around the city visiting landmarks, museums, cultural sites, restaurants and even the docks. Eren had wanted to see the ocean so Grisha drove him out to the lighthouse on what the locals called 'lands end', a long strip of land poking out into the sea with a huge lighthouse on the end in striped red and white paint. The pair took a collection of sandwiches, fizzy fruit drinks and home made cinder toffee and casually munched as they watched the ships come and go in the cool sea breeze, sheltered by the shade of the lighthouse. 

"This is nice." Eren said, chewing on a particularly crunchy part of his toffee. Grisha hummed in agreement. The pair dearly enjoyed their time together, as if it were never going to happen again. They knew it would be some time before they would have multiple days together, but at least they'd gotten this out of their systems before Eren's day came to pack his things and move into the barracks, or at least Levi's private portion of it. 

Back at home, Eren had been finishing his duffle bag when his father commented with a smile, "just think, as soon as you join the military you're staying in officer's quarters."

"Yeah, I get the feeling its gonna be worse than general population." Eren had retorted with a smirk. His father said nothing, simply smiling. His road ahead wasn't going to be an easy one, but he was determined to prove the Commander right in his choice to save his skin from the MP's who wanted him imprisoned or worse, hanged. 

"And Captain Levi's no less." Hange said from the sofa, halfway through a tub of ice cream with their feet up on the coffee table, complete with dinosaur slippers. "Grishables, did you teach the poor boy how to clean using a black light?"

Eren's eyebrow perked and Grisha simply sighed as Hange laughed, almost mockingly. "Oh boy, he's a mega clean freak in the field, it wouldn't surprise me if he was immaculate at home. You know, lead by example and all that..." they mumbled, stuffing their mouth with another spoonful. 

"I wouldn't worry about that Eren. There are strict living rules across all areas no matter where you live. Even in the dormitory barracks you've got to have your bed made immaculately by no later than six. I can't see that Levi would want you to learn any bad habits which won't help you if you ever stay in a regular dorm." Grisha said with a shrug, leaning to take Eren's duffle bag from him, only for Eren to insist he carries it himself. "I can't see you bunking with him forever after all. If you pass your test you'll be initiated as a full Scout, so they have their own rooms for that." 

"Hm. Yeah I guess you're right." Eren said. "I'm so glad I've been given this chance. I mean, to stay with the Captain instead of the dorm." 

"It's not exactly a choice you made freely, Eren." Grisha said as the pair got into the car. 

"Well true..." 

"It was this way or prison."

Eren simply hummed and kept quiet after that. It was true, though. Levi wasn't doing this as a gesture of goodwill toward him, revealing anything that he was actually as fond of Eren as the teen was him. He was just following orders. No more, no less. It was absurd to believe that somehow the pair of them would miraculously be sharing stories about their lives and drinking lemonade on the porch in the evening sun, laughing together like an old married couple. Eren knitted his brows together and continued to remind himself of this. Levi was probably being forced into this just as much as Eren was. It wasn't personal, nor was it designed to be. 

Levi was meant to supervise a threat, to ensure he became a reliable, trustworthy weapon to be used for the Commander's calculated orders. With a grim expression and about half an hour of traffic leading up toward the bridge, Eren arrived at the military complex and got out of the car once Grisha had parked it, bringing his bag with him. Fortunately he still didn't have very many belongings, so he only had the one bag. A lot of the things Grisha had bought for him remained at home for the time being, since he would be issued a uniform and wouldn't need it. 

"Cheer up, would you?" Grisha said, attempting to lighten the mood. "This is what you've wanted since you were little, right?" 

Eren looked at him incredulously. "Yes." He spat, as if it were absurd to think he didn't want this, until he realised what his father was doing. Having returned Eren to his usual state of determination, Grisha smiled slightly to himself as they walked up toward the side entrance for Erwin's office. The pair took themselves up the hall to find Moblit sat behind his desk speaking with Mike and Nanaba, all three of which turned to look in the pair's direction once they heard their approach. 

"Well well, look at what we've got here!" Nanaba said, moving over to give Eren a hug. Eren allowed it, knowing she meant no harm, but couldn't help but tense up anyway at physical contact he wasn't accustomed to yet. He smiled slightly when she pulled back to do the usual _'let's take a look at you, you handsome devil you'_ routine that Levi's squad members had all taken to as soon as they saw his new appearance. Mike simply nodded to the boy who nodded back with a smile as Nanaba fussed over Eren. Her admiration of the young man was interrupted when Levi removed himself from Erwin's office and wordlessly walked down the hall to his own office, not making eye contact with a soul. 

Eren swallowed thickly as his nerves started to sink in, worried that Levi would find him annoying, a burden, imposed upon or other similar negative thought processes. 

"Are you ready, Eren?" Erwin asked from his office doorway, the snakes in the vivariums on the wall behind him visible from the waiting room. Eren nodded and Grisha gave him a quick hug. 

"Levi should be back any moment, please take a seat." Erwin said with a smile as he disappeared back into his office, leaving the door open. Eren turned to look over his shoulder at the grinning Nanaba and bid his father a quick farewell, since he had patients to tend to. Eren moved around the small table and sat down, plonking his bag by his feet as he waited. Moblit continued talking with Mike and Nanaba, the latter doing most of the talking. A few nervous moments later, Eren was greeted with Levi who had emerged from down the hall in the exact same attire as the last time he'd seen him, black shirt and pants with his hair styled away from his face. 

"C'mon brat." He said, waving a hand. As Eren stood and approached him he handed him a key card with his face and name on it. There was also a six digit number below his name, his personal identification number. Levi would later explain to him to keep this on his person at all times, as it would be the number they matched his dental records up with should he die horrifically. 

Eren followed Levi through the narrow corridor, the only aspect of the building which foretold of it's true age, and into what was presumably his office. The walls were a lot simpler than Erwin's although decorated similarly at the base with wood paneling and dark green paint. A simple plaque of the crossed wings was hung above the wall between two large windows where his desk sat in the centre and there was a pair of sofas to the side with a small coffee table with one half-bookshelf. To the opposite side of the seating area was a door, and beside that in the corner closest to the door was a small iron spiral staircase. 

Levi led Eren up the small staircase and into what was now their quarters for the next minimum of five months. Eren took a slow look around as Levi showed him the bathroom and separate toilet next to one another, and the two beds in the centre of the room. One was made immaculately, the other had a pile of fresh, folded bedding resting at it's foot. Each bed was a simple wooden single with a simple bedside table cupboard beside it, each with it's own lamp. 

"Shit and shower there, sleep there." Was the only explanation given. There was little else in the room to really absorb. No decoration, two large windows overlooking the Scout training quad and one rug between the two beds. 

"Keep your shit there." Levi pointed to a large metal trunk from under the unmade bed and Eren noticed Levi had one exactly the same tucked under his own. Eren had expected something a little bit more extravagant, given Levi was second in command, but he was surprised to find how humbly the man lived. 

"Do you spend most of your time here?" Eren asked. 

"Three week days. During your training though I want us to stay here six days with one rest day in the city. I'm sure Grisha took you to see Kenny?" 

"Uh, yes." 

"We'll stay in his loft on Sundays, I'll drive until you learn."

"Oh, okay."

"You'll need to learn either way, so may as well slap some 'L' plates on my truck, it's insured so we'll be fine." 

"Alright, sounds good." Eren said as he rested his duffle bag on top of the metal case, looking around to take in his surroundings a little better, even if there weren't many physical things to look at. 

"Is that all you have?" Levi asked. 

"Yes, I only went out with dad once to get clothes." 

"There's three sets in your trunk, laundry is done twice a week depending on when you need it." 

"Okay." Eren said, feeling as if he should write some of this information down. Levi beat him to it, thrusting a sheet of paper into the teen's hands. 

"Saves me spelling it out more than once. Give this a read when you find time." It was a complete list of everything from where to do laundry, replenish wash products, towels, uniform pieces and every other on-site living facility he could think of. It included canteen opening times for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as lights out for the entire complex, what to do in the event of an emergency, fire or the likes. Everything was covered (on both sides) of the sheet which Eren folded and slipped into his back pocket for later reference. 

"Makes sense..." Eren said. 

"Right. You should have everything you need here, but if you don't let me know and I'll make it happen. You don't take any medicine, do you?" 

"Uh, no." 

"And while we're out on the complex it's no 'Sir'" Levi added. 

"Oh! Sorry sir!" Eren corrected himself. 

"In here or out on missions I couldn't give a rat's ass. It's more for your colleagues and mine when we're on base. Here is how you salute." Levi demonstrated the standard salute, left arm behind the small of his back and his right clenched into a fist over his heart, palm facing upward. Eren copied carefully and Levi nodded. "Don't worry about who is who, I will introduce you. Essentially anyone with anything other than nothing pinned to their jackets, you salute. If they are not in a uniform, salute anyway unless you know them. The Garrison and MP's like to send plain clothes officials in for their meetings, the sneaky bastards." 

Levi huffed and Eren smiled weakly, nodding as he tried to retain all of the information.

"You won't get it perfect first time, so don't try. Besides, if Erwin's report is anything to go by we'll be fucking tied at the hip for the next.. however fucking long so just follow my lead until you get to know everyone."

"Okay." Eren said. Levi moved over to the window, glancing up at the darkening clouds. The evening rain was due any moment. 

"We start your training tomorrow with a quick evaluation. I'm getting up at four, but I don't expect you ready until six. Set an alarm if you need to. There's one in the drawer of your bedside table. Other than that I'll give you the grand tour tomorrow after the evaluation at six." 

"Alright." Eren said, nodding along. It was about six now, so he'd have about twelve hours until he needed to be ready. 

"Also I go to sleep at eight or nine, usually." 

"Okay. That's about when I usually do too, with the sun." Eren said with a shrug. Levi simply hummed and nodded, sitting on the foot of his bed. "I guess I should really get some more furniture or something." Levi said after a long pause, the rain beating off the thin single windowpanes now being the only noise in the room. 

"Will we really be spending all that much time in here to need it?" Eren asked with a slight smile, trying to break some ice. 

"Heh, I guess you're right. I've got a few reports to finalise downstairs, I'll probably shower tomorrow morning."

"Are you a morning shower person?" Eren asked. 

"Yeah usually." 

"I'm more of a night person." 

"So we won't get in each other's ways." Levi confirmed with a nod of approval. Eren smiled a little to himself at the minor victory. It was strange seeing Levi in a more personal setting, speaking about living arrangements. It would take some time getting used to, but hopefully his training would distract him from any uncertainties or worries about the once in a lifetime chance of living with his new role model. 

"Anyway, see you later." Levi said as he headed back to the staircase, letting himself down and leaving Eren in his quarters by himself. He spent about forty-five minutes just wandering around, testing the taps in the bathroom, unpacking and admiring his new (trainee) uniform. It wasn't anything special, simple camouflage pants with a black tee-shirt with a printed trainee logo on the breast, two pairs of black boots much like the pair Levi had given him on their way back and a collection of socks and underwear, all in black. There was also a few other items such as a thick leather jacket, a rain mac and a flat cap. 

When Levi eventually returned back upstairs, minding his steps, he noticed the teenager was already asleep, lying flat on his back, not using his pillow which had been stood beside his bedside table with his arms flung above his head and one leg poking out of his duvet. Assuming Eren would be one to move around a lot in his sleep, he awoke to find him in a very similar position, not having moved much at all overnight. Levi got himself up at his usual time and silently pulled his sheets into some semblance of order, although not fully making it. He would return later to demonstrate how to make a military bunk. The sheets were due a change anyway. Levi pulled a tee-shirt on and slipped back downstairs in his boxers to do a little more work before it got light. 

After Levi returned upstairs about half an hour later and let himself into the bathroom presumably for his morning shower, Eren peeled his eyes open. He'd been awake since at least three in the morning since he'd fallen asleep so early, but couldn't bring himself to get up and face Levi again so soon. So he pretended to sleep. Eren pulled the sheet away from his bed and got up, stretching. He looked out of the window closest to his bed and saw nothing but grey mist. Sure, he couldn't hear the morning songs of all the animals, smell the morning rain or feel the cool air against his skin, which was still a little bit strange, but he felt comfortable. He could imagine himself here for the time being. 

He could hear water running from the bathroom door and moved to visit the toilet, returning to his window as soon as he was done, staring out at the cloud-like air slowly floating between the buildings, sinking into every empty space like a liquid. It was in this dull scene that despite his amazing travels with his father, he was yet to see something in the city that truly took his breath away with it's beauty. That is until Levi walked out from the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel, water dripping down that deliciously taught chest and stomach of his. Eren swallowed thickly and returned his attention quickly to the window, intensely staring at the mist. 

"You're not going to get ready staring out the window." Levi said, drying himself off with one leg up on his bed to catch the moisture on his legs and ankles. Eren nodded and briskly moved back to his bed to retrieve his toothbrush from his trunk. Breakfast would be at eight or nine, so he figured he'd at least brush away his morning breath. Glancing up quickly at Levi towelling himself off, he noticed a large, surgical looking scar tracing the inside of his left ankle all the way to the knee. There were distinct white dots from where there had been stitches and Eren found himself surprised he'd never noticed this before. It was very neatly healed into a thin, pale line.

It wasn't as if the man had a limp, so it got him wondering how he got the scar. He'd have to wait for another chance to ask as he got himself up and moving in order to be ready for six, which was looming closer than he thought it would be. Levi helped him with his uniform, instructing him on what to wear for training days and what to wear any other time, depending on weather. His main suggestion since it was nearing the middle of the dry season, would be to wear a tee and stick a jacket over it with the rain mac in the pocket. That way he would be able to bring it out if it rained or take his jacket off when (not if,) if got too hot to wear. 

Thanking him for his advice, Eren grinned a little and offered his best, heartfelt salute to his superior, fully suited and booted. The final touch to his uniform had been Eren slipping his ID badge into his combat pants zipped pocket where he wouldn't lose it. 

"Are you ready?" Levi asked. 

"I was born ready." Eren grinned at him, slapping on a 'Sir' for good measure. Levi simply sighed but Eren was sure he'd seen some sort of hint of a smile on his face as he rubbed his forehead. 

"Come on then." 

Levi led Eren down and out of the building, through the training courtyard where there were teams stood in formation, waiting for warmup to begin. He instantly recognized Mike and Hange, each with a squad of their own before them, sizing them up. Hange gave a wave to the pair to which Eren responded with a smile. Levi took Eren beyond the courtyard and started his rounds, showing him where to find meals, do his laundry, replace uniform, all general housekeeping enquiries that the new recruit might possibly ever need. This took the pair roughly an hour, since the complex was so large. The furthest Eren would have to walk would be to the training grounds beyond the Scouts quad, designed for trainees. 

Eren constantly kept his eyes alert for Armin, as he'd been sure he'd seen him running the other day. 

"Sir, where do the other trainees stay?" 

Levi pointed to a long, two story building built in a very similar, old fashioned style to the Scouting offices buildings, each side of the building seemingly built into a square. There was probably an open quad in the middle of that one too. "That is their barracks." 

"Aha, I see." Eren eyed the building, then his surroundings, taking mental stock of where it was situated should he find free time to come visit. Returning his senses to following his Captain, he realised they were effectively out in the middle of nowhere within the complex. The buildings growing further away and the tall walls around the edges growing closer. The road they were walking along wasn't so much of a built one as it was a well-driven and trodden dirt path. In the morning air you could only barely see the complex perimeter from where they were and Eren couldn't help but wonder where he was being led which could possibly be all the way out here. 

They approached the gates at the edge of the complex and to Eren's surprise it was unmanned, aside from a set of triple gates which required their key cards to leave from. His curiosity all but killing him, Eren stood dumfounded, hard sand underfoot and the gentle slosh of waves in the background, just beneath the morning mist rolling off the sea. He was on the beach. 

With no other soul in sight or earshot, Eren looked around as he continued to follow the Captain. Levi stopped beside a large rock and looked back toward the walled complex, indicating a jutting portion of wall where a watchtower was positioned on a corner. 

"See this rock?" 

"Yes."

"See that watch tower?" 

Eren squinted through the fog and nodded. "Yes." 

"See this?" Levi held out a small, wide barreled gun of some sort. 

"Yes?" Eren said, hesitantly. 

"You will stay here. I will run to that watch tower. Once I do, I will signal this flare. Upon seeing it, you will also run to the watch tower. I will be timing you. Are the instructions clear?" 

Eren nodded, "yes Sir." 

"Wait for my signal then, your training begins now." Levi said, making his start as he begun jogging toward the watch tower. Eren waited nervously for his signal. The wait felt like hours but could only have been less than ten minutes before a bright yellow light shot out into the sky with a loud, distant crack. Eren shot off to the best of his ability, trying to get used to the feel of the sand moving around beneath his feet. It was wet, so it remained reasonably in tact underfoot, but some pockets were drier than others where he had to avoid large rocks, making his run uneven and far from smooth. 

Having fallen over twice and some time later, Eren arrived at the foot of the watch tower where Levi waited, out of breath and panting heavily. 

"Nineteen minutes, forty seconds." Levi announced flatly. "That is a fail."

"What?" Eren panted out, gladly taking the water bottle Levi offered him which did wonders to soothe his dry throat. 

"One test to join the scouts is the ability to cross that exact distance in less than fourteen minutes. My personal expectation of you is to run it in under ten."

Eren's jaw fell open and he quickly composed himself by sticking his water bottle into his mouth to mask his surprise at the staggering targets laid out before him. 

"Of course it will be required of you to warm up properly before the run... I just wanted to see how you'd do without any preparation." Levi almost smirked, one corner of his mouth twitching upward and his eyes narrowing in amusement. 

"Oh, uh.. how did I do?" 

"Not great, but I've seen worse." 

"Oh." 

"That and the test will officially be run on a road. You will be able to complete it quicker with an even surface underfoot." 

"Then why come all the way out here?" 

"Running on sand is harder than up in the complex on hard dirt tracks, the idea is that it will strengthen you faster. I assume you will want to take the test as soon as you hit eighteen?" Levi asked. Eren nodded, finally having regained his breath and handing the water bottle back with a quiet "thank you". 

"Yes." 

"Well then, we have a lot of work to do, firstly on your body." Eren looked down at himself and lifted his arms a little. 

"Where do we start?" 

Levi paused a moment before looking at his watch. 

"We start with breakfast."


	14. Smile

Eren had finally encountered Armin with Jean and their squad in the mess hall at breakfast a few days into his training. Levi had allowed him to sit with his friend and quietly observed the boy interacting with the blond, all the others sat nearby watching the pair closely. They hugged and chatted for the entire duration of breakfast, their meals going primarily untouched until the final five minutes where they suddenly realised the time. As Levi polished off his own breakfast, Erwin and Moblit sat down at his table. So far it had only been himself, Mike and Nanaba, but Mike had been too busy listening to Nanaba talk about trivial things he didn't really care to listen to. 

"Good morning, Levi." Erwin said, resting his tray down and tucking his legs under the bench. 

"Eyebrows." 

"Morning, Levi," Moblit said. Levi gave the man a nod and returned to his tea. 

"How is 'operation supervision' going?" Erwin teased. 

"Well enough." Levi said, not taking his eyes from the brunet across the mess hall. "He's got potential, and he's driven enough to get it for himself... with a little bit of a push here and there."

Erwin smiled, understanding Levi's 'pushing' methods better than anyone. He'd given the teenager a full mock examination on his first day with zero warning. He'd of course failed miserably in a lot of categories, but he'd excelled in other areas where neither of the officers had expected. 

"Will you come by later to discuss his written results?" Erwin asked of Levi who simply nodded. He hadn't seen Eren's answers yet so was curious to find out what he'd written. Levi finished up his breakfast, moved to return his dishes to the kitchen and went through the mess hall to find none other than Keith Shadis, trainee instructor. The man looked up at Levi and almost saluted if it weren't for the fact that Levi sat himself down beside the man, wafting his hand as if to dismiss any such formalities before he had time to do so.

"Have you met our new recruit Yeager?" Levi asked. 

Keith looked across the mess hall to the boy speaking with the small group of recruits. Everyone around the table was listening to what he was saying as if it were some sort of gospel, soaking in every word. 

"Not formally, but I know him." 

"I'm sure all of Ragako knows him, given his circumstances." 

"That is true." 

"Well I would love if you would kindly take him under your wing for the remainder of the week." That was three days, taking them up to Saturday afternoon. "I will take him for his run every morning at six, you can have him each morning after breakfast and I'll come get him at about five each day." 

"Very well." Keith nodded. Levi gave the man a brief pat of thanks on his shoulder and exited the table, moving toward Eren's table. He didn't approach fully, not wishing to disturb him too much from his interaction with his new comrades, but Eren's eyes caught his own as soon as he was within sight. All Levi had to do was flick a beckoning finger toward the boy and he was up and moving over quickly, saluting earnestly. 

"Sir?" 

"You'll be with the hundred and fourth training squad for the next three days. Any cock ups you make will directly reflect me." 

"Oh, right. I'll do my best, sir!" Eren said, nodding. 

"Don't do anything idiotic and you'll be fine. Learn what you can and listen to what the instructor tells you to do. Just imagine it's me." Levi said, gesturing toward Shadis. Eren's eyes followed the direction and Levi noticed his eyebrows knit together ever so slightly at the sight of the man. 

"Alright." He said after a short pause. 

"You'll still come for your morning run and you're still staying with me during the nights. I'll come by each afternoon to retrieve you." 

"Yes sir." Eren said as Levi dismissed him, returning to his seat with a big smile on his face as he returned to speaking with Armin and the others. 

Once Eren's new schedule was successfully no longer part of Levi's own for the next few days, he scanned over the eating heads to Erwin, who was now finished with his own meal and making his way to the door, waiting in the archway with his eyes set on Levi. Levi caught up with Erwin, unaware of the green eyes following him out of the room. He and Erwin returned to the Commander's office and removed all the needed documentation and took them through to Levi's office where they had a lower chance of being bothered.

Sat comfortably around the small coffee table on the sofa and armchair, documents spread everywhere, the pair discussed a few tactics, staffing proposals, mission plans and other formalities before turning their attention to the young man from the forest a few hours later. 

"So he failed the run, technicals, decision making, literacy and numeracy. Most of the categories, in fact." Erwin started. Levi nodded, knowing full well, having examined him himself. "He passed teamwork and problem solving, however we had him do a general knowledge test and..." Erwin trailed off as he dug the boy's test sheet out from the pile of plans and maps. 

"His spelling aside, he answered almost every single question out of one hundred correctly." Erwin handed the paper to Levi who looked it over as he kept talking. "Some of his answers were not exactly textbook, but they weren't technically incorrect." 

As Erwin had said, Eren's handwriting was difficult to read although his answers were surprisingly well decided. There were few, possibly no areas where he had crossed an answer out and re-written something different. 

"So he remembers shit from when he was a kid?" Levi asked, setting the sheet down.

"It's not that." Erwin said, picking the sheet up and flicking over the pages. 

"Who is the _current_ prime minister of Karanese?" Erwin read aloud the question along with Eren's (poorly spelled) answer. 

"So it's correct." Levi said, not immediately following where Erwin was going with this. 

"He was appointed four years ago. Unless he's been reading any international newspapers written in Ragakan recently, I doubt he knew the future of a foreign country when he was ten years old." 

"Huh." Levi said, eyebrows drawn together in thought. 

"Precisely. I think we need to do a little more digging." Erwin said. "Of course, keeping this to ourselves, we wouldn't want the MP's finding out about this." He was quick to add. The pair agreed Levi would ask him a few questions regarding his test results and that would be that. He'd report back anything unusual to Erwin should anything actually arise. Erwin and Levi then resumed conversing about various work related projects until lunch, where they ordered food for the office rather than going to the mess hall. Thankfully Moblit was on hand to bring them things should they require, so they took advantage this one time. 

"Your meals, sirs." Moblit said, handing the pair of trays to Erwin who was stood at the door. Levi was slumped on the sofa with his boots up on the table, tie loose around his neck with his top button undone. 

"Thank you, Moblit." Erwin said as he turned to place the trays on top of their paperwork which Levi hadn't bothered to move. Erwin then shuffled a few documents out from underneath lunch and set them on the floor to the side as they tucked in. 

"So what's it like living with someone else again?" Erwin asked. Levi looked up and shrugged. 

"Shit as ever?" He said. 

"So you're saying you don't enjoy the company?" 

"It's not that as such. I see him as a bit of a project I guess. He's come a long way, but I don't think he realises how far he has to reach in order to join." 

"Mmh, it's a tough test even for those who started preparing at thirteen, fourteen." Erwin agreed. "You think he'll pass it first time?" 

"Not a chance. Why do you think I made him living arrangements for the next year?" 

"I suppose you have a point." The conversation loosened a little from around Levi's responsibilities and eventually Levi asked his superior a question, amusement lacing his voice. 

"What about you? Still banging that MP's wife?"

Erwin simply smiled, earning a fork-wave from Levi. "You're no fucking gentleman, so stop trying to act all coy. Spill the beans." 

"Well you know they recently had another daughter?" Erwin started, his expression giving nothing away. 

"Yeah?" 

"Well turns out she's got hair as golden as the sun above..." Erwin said, a devious glint in his blue eyes. Levi smirked and shook his head in disbelief. He was fully aware of the wordplay going on here.

"You're a bastard, you know that?" 

"I never claimed to be a saint." He retorted, still smiling in amusement.

"Ain't that the truth. Does Nile know?" 

"I'm sure he has his suspicions. Hell, why do you think he's suddenly started hating me so much these last couple of years?"

"What, you think she accidentally called out your name instead of his one time during the act?" Levi asked, taking a bite from his baguette after picking out a piece of tomato. 

"Who knows." Erwin said, biting into his own baguette regardless of it's contents. "So how's your own love life going?" 

"You know the answer to that." Levi said flatly. 

"It's been years." 

"Yeah I know, but that doesn't mean I _want_ to see anyone again." Levi grumbled, filling his mouth with more of his lunch to get him out of replying to Erwin's probes. 

"Just figured it may do you well to get yourself out there, at least if it's only to get laid." Erwin said with a shrug, earning a cold glare from the Captain. 

"That's rich coming from Mister 'family man' over here." Levi said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, who wants to start a life with someone who has a thirty per-cent chance of death every month?" Levi asked.

"This is true." Erwin said, polishing off his lunch and leaning back into the armchair as Levi dissected more tomatoes from his own. "But I didn't say anything about starting lives together, getting married or even a family. I just figure you need to get laid." 

"Sex isn't the answer to everything, you know?" 

"That may be the case. It helps though." Erwin said with a shrug and a playful smile. Levi simply rolled his eyes and shook his head. Get his superior on the battlefield and he was borderline cold hearted and ruthless. Get him a sandwich and a cup of coffee and he was your ordinary soldier with an ordinary 'appreciation' for the female form. In various positions. Preferably while naked. 

By now it was reasonably late in the afternoon and Levi was aware he'd be retrieving Eren from Shadis. "I'm gonna go now. I'll leave you to clean this shit up." Levi told his commanding officer who simply nodded and waved him off. He let himself out through the rear door again and through the courtyard, making his way over to the training grounds where he anticipated them to be at this time of day. As expected he discovered the 104th group on the obstacle course, jumping tyres and climbing ropes and the likes. Eren was seemingly giving the exercise everything he had, which pleased Levi to see. 

What Levi didn't see however was how Jean spent the entire day more or less mocking him about Levi, causing him to get into multiple arguments. Something Shadis informed the Captain of as soon as he arrived from their position of observation. 

"He's easily goaded into fights." Keith told Levi who simply watched the recruits training. 

"What did he do?" 

"Kirstein brushing his fur the wrong way. Essentially teasing him for his orientation was the long and short of it. Fucking teenagers." 

"Right." Levi said flatly.

"Alright you lazy bum fucks, fall into formation!" Keith shouted to which the cadets all stopped what they were doing and hurried over. As they were getting into position, Keith asked a private question of the Captain, to which he nodded in response, piquing the interest of the cadets who saw the exchange, as well as the new face. 

"Who knows who this is?" Keith pointed a thumb at Levi. Eren raised his hand in an instant. Jean snickered from behind him, causing the brunet to turn over his shoulder and glare at him. 

"Not you, Yeager. Anyone else?" A shorter, skinny looking boy raised his hand. 

"Springer." 

"Sir, that's Captain Levi, second in command of the Scouting Regiment, Sir!"

"Correct. Now, I have a question for you all." All the recruits perked up and held their stiff postures as they awaited their next order. 

"Who here thinks they have what it takes to properly exercise a take down on Levi?" The group had been practicing hand to hand combat earlier that day, so it was fresh in their minds. The group visibly hesitated. 

"This is all for training purposes, you will be given constructive feedback no matter the outcome. Now ladies, would anyone like to volunteer? He's only five foot three. He can't be that hard to take down." Keith taunted the group. Levi shrugged off his jacket and set it beside him on the ground. He was only wearing a black shirt and black dress pants with a pair of black leather shoes, whereas the cadets were all wearing their combat pants, boots and tee-shirts. 

"Sir. I believe I have what it takes, Sir!" A tall freckled female cadet at the rear called out. Eren winced for her on her behalf, since she clearly didn't understand what Levi was capable of. Fortunately Eren was smart enough to have remembered what he'd witnessed Levi doing in action whilst in the jungle. His deadly accuracy with his crossbow had been frightening. 

"Very well. What's your name, cadet?" Levi asked, rolling his sleeves up and pulling a black bandana out from his back pocket, tying it around his nose and mouth as if to simulate a somewhat more realistic Titan foe.

"Ymir," she stated simply. 

"Alright. When you're-" Levi didn't even have time to finish his sentence when he had a fist swinging at him. She was an exceptionally aggressive fighter and the other cadets whooped and hollered at her as she went for attack after attack. Levi spent the time using simple blocking or parrying techniques as he assessed her fighting style. It didn't take long. Within three or four more avoided moves, he ducked around her left side and struck right in the ribs, causing her stance to falter and her footing to give a little. 

Re-thinking her opponent, she raised her fists again and resumed her swings, trying to be less predictable and changing things up here and there. Levi didn't bother moving his arms often unless a punch came close enough to warrant blocking it. 

She kept her attacks going for the next couple of minutes, Levi busying himself with lazy blocks. Eventually she grew tired enough for Levi to grasp her wrist as she swung another punch, using her own momentum to swing her to the ground by the wrist. She landed in the sand on her front with a loud thud and Levi moved around her swiftly to rest his knees on her shoulder, clamping her arm between his thighs as he kept a firm hold on her wrist. 

Ymir attempted to free herself but was swiftly rendered immobile when Levi gently moved her arm to the side against his leg, turning the wrist unnaturally and bending the arm forcing her to cry out in pain. Levi made himself comfortable and addressed the group of trainees watching the fight. 

"What are Ymir's strong points from that fight?" he asked the group. They shuffled on the spot a little and a few hands were raised. Levi pointed to the Springer kid from before. 

"Baldilocks, go." 

"Uh, she's um... She's got a lot of strength." He commented. Levi nodded and pointed to the next cadet. 

"She's fast." 

"What else?" 

The group listed a few other points, having not expected to be asked for positives, given the freckled girl in Levi's grip was currently on her face in the dirt, having lost. 

"Alright, now the areas for improvement. List 'em off for her." The cadets each named a few observations and Levi looked pointedly at Eren for a moment as the teen raised his hand. 

"She spent too much energy too quickly. That's where you found your opening. It takes less energy to defend than it does to attack. She was too aggressive and that was her downfall." 

"An accurate reading, brat. Please tell me he is not the only one to have made that observation." Levi deadpanned, letting Ymir go who rolled over, rubbing her arm before returning to her position in the formation. The sheepish looks on the cadets faces made Levi roll his eyes. Maybe Eren wouldn't need too much time with these newbies after all. He seemed pretty independent of their idiocy which was wonderful to discover. 

"Ten out of ten all, Ymir I hope you learnt something." 

She nodded and Keith thanked Levi for his short impromptu sparring session. Levi said he'd pop by a bit more now he was working directly with one of the new recruits. They could do with a little tough love now and again, not that Keith wasn't already a complete slavedriver. He was probably the harshest, meanest instructor they had, so that's why he chose him to take Eren for a few days. 

Once Eren and Levi were on their way back to their quarters, Levi asked Eren how his day went. 

"It was... man. It was intense." He said with a tired sigh. 

"Shadis told me someone was giving you stick about your... sexual preferences?" Levi said, causing Eren's walk to slow to a stop, also stopping the older man who looked back at him. 

"Ugh, he's just an idiot." Eren said, continuing his walk once again. He was surprised to receive a nudge from Levi's shoulder and a slight smirk on his face as he told him he'd beat the shit out of anyone who gave him hell for being who he was.

It made Eren's chest feel strangely warm and he couldn't help but mumble out a slightly embarrassed 'thanks' at the man who'd essentially offered to hand Jean's horse ass to him for teasing him. Once the pair arrived into the sanctity of Levi's office and the door had been shut, Eren nervously asked Levi if he could ask him a question. 

"You just did, brat." Levi stated, causing Eren to frown, despite the fact that he knew the older man was joking. Levi had removed his jacket and the pair headed upstairs. Upon seeing Eren's serious expression from where he was sat on his own bed he dropped what he was doing and approached the sitting boy, looking at him in the eye. 

"What is it?" Levi asked, tone matching Eren's serious expression. 

"Would you please not call me a brat?" Eren asked, looking down at his hands or feet. Levi hadn't quite expected the question but nodded slowly anyway. If there was a reason he was asking so seriously, he would respect it. He didn't need to know the reasons behind it. "It's just, the rebels would..." 

"Eren." Levi interrupted him. He looked up, anxiety written all over his face. "You don't need to explain yourself. I'll call you by your name and nothing else." Levi assured him, making him smile slightly. Levi noticed how the smile didn't reach the boy's eyes though. He wished there were something he could offer which would cheer the boy up. That's when an idea hit him. He wouldn't be able to execute it right away, but he could at least save it for another day. 

"Hey. Earth to Eren." Levi snapped his fingers in front of the young man's face causing him to look up. "What'll cheer you up?" 

"Oh, um. You don't have to do that..." Eren said sheepishly, still clearly caught up in his own negative thoughts. Levi sat on his own bed opposite Eren and actually _smiled_. It was the first relaxed smile Eren had seen the Captain give him, and it was literally just for him. It did strange things to his heart inside his chest, making him feel warm all over under Levi's strangely gentle stare. 

"What if I told you Kirstein was only fucking with you because he has a small dick?" Levi suddenly said, tone completely serious. Eren burst out laughing and Levi resumed his breathtaking smiling once more, leaving Eren smiling himself much to his own surprise. 

"There we go. There's our regular Eren back in the room. Thought I lost you there for a minute." Levi said, smirking before getting up. "You stink, I'm taking a shower first though." He said as he crossed the room, unbuttoning his shirt and leaving it on a chair beside the bathroom door. Eren watched him go in some sort of smile-induced drunken state of awe. Just as he was about to disappear through the door Eren called out to his supervisor. Levi turned to look at him.

"What is it Eren?" 

"Um, thanks I guess?" 

"Don't sweat it." Eren smiled. "No seriously you smell enough already." Levi added with a wink and that same strangely relaxed smile from before. Eren simply stared at the back of the closed bathroom door for a good few minutes before finally realising he'd have to get up and get moving to sort himself out for bed. He untucked his sheets and unfolded a towel from under his bed, resting it alongside his clean sleepwear for when Levi had finished with the shower. 

He briefly wondered why Levi had decided to loosen up around him finally. Up until this point he'd seemed stiff and regimental during his morning and night routines, never faltering from the order in which he'd do things. Eren didn't have long to continue pondering because the door opened and Levi padded out, still soaking wet. Eren subconsciously licked his lips as his eyes followed the man as he walked past. He had to shake himself away from his blatant staring and force himself into the shower where he proceeded to indulge in a few more fantasies regarding the man in the other room. 

Eren re-emerged from the shower, significantly more relaxed than he'd gone in to find Levi sat in bed with a book, nightstand light on and legs crossed over under his sheets. 

"What you reading?" Eren asked, sitting on his bed in his boxers and towelling his hair dry. Levi glanced over in the dim light and Eren noticed his eyes flicker downward ever so slightly for the briefest of moments. Upon realising that the man was probably looking at his large collection of Titan souvenirs, Eren diverted his attention to anywhere except for the Captain, the towel falling into his lap as he shrunk in on himself a little. He felt sorely embarrassed and ashamed. 

"It's alright, you know." Levi started quietly, closing his book and resting it on his lap. He sighed softly, not taking his eyes from the insecure young man sat there in his boxers. Eren slowly started to pull a vest on when Levi continued. "Not all of us are lucky like you." 

"Me, lucky?" Eren asked, seriously concerned for Levi's sanity. Was he blind? 

"Not all of us have physical scars that can be covered so easily." Levi said almost cryptically, fiddling with the corner of his book. Eren noticed it was just a standard textbook on military operating procedures. One much like the one he'd been given and told to memorise. 

"Has this got something to do with the fact that I've known you for almost two months and only today saw you smile for the first time?" Eren asked, catching Levi off guard slightly with his openness. 

"You're demonstrating my point right now." 

"Which is?" 

"You're passionate. You always have been according to your father." 

"Yeah, I guess." 

"I'm not trying to demean any of it, but you went through some fucked up shit out there." Levi stated. Eren quietly observed him, waiting for him to finish. It was rare to hear him speaking so openly, so he dared not interrupt for fear of his steely silence and reservation returning. "But the fact of the point is, you didn't lose yourself. You're not empty." 

Eren sat quietly as he let the words sink in. _He wasn't empty?_

"You're got substance to you. Heart, you know? A bit of life compared to the rest of these fucking zombies who don't know whether they want to eat brains or shit or both. You're different." 

"That may not be a good thing." 

"Do you feel like it's a bad thing?" Levi asked, without any particular scorn in his voice but the question was still demanding of an answer. Eren paused and carefully chose his response.

"I suppose I don't. The rest of the recruits seem a little bit..." Eren shrugged and Levi leant forward in his bed, crossing his legs and facing Eren. Eren took this moment to scoot his lower half beneath his own sheets, making himself comfortable. "...they seem a little bit sheltered." He finally said with a shrug. Levi simply nodded. 

"Precisely, they don't know what it's like out there. Not yet anyway." 

"Hey Levi? Can I ask you a question?" 

"Ask whatever you like." 

"Why'd you join the military?" 

"I was forced into it, but it's not something I regret." 

"Oh, I see. How were you forced, if you don't mind me asking?" 

"Nah it's fine. A lot of people tend to believe the urban legend surrounding me as if I'm some closed off hermit who just glares at people when they try to get close. If you ask, more often than not I'll give what you requested. Anyway, I used to work in the black market, dealing in illegal animal products. Erwin arrested me himself and offered prison or signing up for the military, provided I passed the tests, much like your own position." 

"Oh, yeah, that's pretty similar." 

"It's probably why Erwin figured I'd be a good mentor for you." Levi said with a nonchalant shrug. 

"Is he ever wrong about anything?" Eren asked, amusement lacing his tone. Levi picked up on it and cracked a slight smile. 

"In the seven years I've known him, he's never been wrong. His taste in women is questionable though." Levi said with a snort, also earning a snicker from the youth opposite him. 

"And what about yours?" Eren asked, before he could stop himself. He'd been so disarmed by Levi's relaxed posture and soft smiles that he'd completely forgotten for a moment he was his superior officer. Levi hummed and picked his glass of water from the nightstand, sipping slowly from it. His eyes very briefly made contact with Eren's as he placed the glass back on the table, making the young man gulp nervously. 

"My taste in women is... how do I say this politely?" Levi began and Eren remembered that he said if he asked a question he'd most likely answer it. Eren snorted in amusement and Levi stared at him. "What?"

"Since when do you care about being polite?"

"Ha. Touché, Eren." Levi grinned almost wolfishly. "Well let's just say I prefer our nation's grand delicacy." 

"What, sausages?" Eren asked, instantly thinking about the food and completely, one hundred percent missing the dirty insinuation. 

"Precisely." Levi said with a smirk, waiting for it to sink in. 

As soon as Eren realised his cheeks must have turned bright pink, a soft laugh coming from the older man as Eren buried his face into his sheets and groaned. 

"And you're not married." Eren stated as more of a mumble. Levi still heard it and laughed again, causing Eren to blush right up to his ear-tips, burying his face between his knees. 

"Looking for an opening to make a move eh, Yeager?" Levi chuckled out softly, completely aware of how embarrassed he was making Eren feel, snickering to himself as Eren curled completely under his covers and told Levi to simply kill him there and then. 

"I'm fucking with you Eren, c'mon. Come out." Levi said eventually, eyes darting to Eren's alarm clock just to keep an eye on the time. Eren slowly manoeuvred himself out from under his sheets, poking his head out which was still bright red. Levi smiled fondly at him and shook his head slowly.

"It's nice to see you smile for a change." Eren said. 

"It's nice to do it for a chance." Levi answered back after pondering on Eren's comment for a short moment. 

"Sir?" 

"Levi." Levi corrected. 

"Levi?" 

"Eren?" 

"Why'd you stop smiling?" Eren asked once his cheeks had turned a lighter shade of red and didn't look quite so flustered. Levi paused for a long moment, looking toward nothing in particular around the room. Eren started to feel uncomfortable and uncertain, as if he'd crossed an invisible boundary line. It was clear this was beyond Levi's comfort zone, as he shrugged a little and gave a very simple, curt response, a distant sadness in his eyes. 

"Shit happens." 

There was a long pause where both men were quiet. 

"You never answered my question." Eren eventually said, deciding not to push for more information than Levi was willing to give.

"Which one?" 

"What are you reading?" 

Levi scoffed and smiled once more. It seemed the pair of them had a positive effect on one another. There were questions that if anyone asked Levi he would be more than happy to answer. He'd allow people to get to know him, no problem. It was just that until Eren, no one had manned up enough to ask. The kid had balls, he'd give him that. He didn't care about Levi's frosty personality or reputation for being grumpy and unapproachable. It was strange to feel as if some kid just popped out of nowhere and treated him like a complete equal. That idea of his came back to the fore of Levi's mind and he vowed he'd act on it instantly upon reaching his desk the following day. 

As per their usual schedule, Levi jogged Eren out to the beach. The distance to their starting rock served as a minimum distance required for the warmup, so by the time they arrived, they were both ready to go. Levi had begun jogging alongside Eren for his sandy runs, telling him occasional words of encouragement between his orders and home-truths. 

It had only been five days since his first run and Eren had only run this once between then and now, improving only by ten seconds. The days in between had been areas where he wanted to improve on. So far it had been muscle building, so Levi had him work on his core with a set of exercises. He ordered him to start his day with these exercises before he came out, so that they could focus more on other areas Eren needed support with. 

Levi sprung straight into action once Eren had been successfully handed over to Shadis and the pair ended up staying on base for their first rest day, as Levi had some reports he needed to finish and Eren wanted time with Armin. It suited them both, and they spent the better half of the morning on some more, slightly more mental training exercises until Levi forced Eren to rest. 

It was eventually one week later on the Saturday did Levi's email finally come through to confirm his plans had been successful. He smiled to himself as Eren let himself into his office with Bertolt draped over his shoulders, being careful to hold the body weight with his arms as best he could. 

"I think he likes me." Eren said as the large boa investigated it's enthusiastic carrier, his tongue flitting out against Eren's cheek occasionally. 

"You do realise you have achieved the impossible?" Levi said, entirely seriously. 

"Huh?" 

"That snake is completely chicken shit scared of anything that moves. How it hasn't killed you yet is beyond me." Levi said, eyeing up the sight before him. 

"Perhaps it's because I'm the almighty snake whisperer." 

Levi rolled his eyes and returned to his emails. He couldn't help as a small smile crept up onto his face as Eren left the room, calling out for Hange to help him before Bertolt suffocated him to death. Powering down his computer and straightening up his desk, he got up and removed his tie, making his way up the spiral staircase to grab his and Eren's bags. They had packed very lightly considering they would only be gone for a day, but regardless Levi was looking forward to seeing his uncle. He'd not been back for a good four months now, with his most recent mission lasting well over a month on the opposite side of the river.

Once his office had been locked and he made his way to the main room with Erwin's office, he found Eren in the depths of Erwin's treasure trove, sliding Bertolt back into his vivarium with Hange's help, Erwin sat on the waiting room chair in his night clothes. 

"Hey Levi." He said.

"Eyebrows." 

"I'm sorry I couldn't offer you any extended time to spend with your family after all this time," Erwin said sympathetically just as Eren returned to the room to catch the phrase and look absolutely mortified for a split second. Erwin caught the look, Levi did not. 

"You say it as if telephones and video calls don't fucking exist." 

Erwin laughed and Levi rolled his eyes, lightly tossing Eren's bag to him, to which he caught effortlessly. 

"Come on, Eren. Let's go." 

Eren followed him out and Levi got into a standard military truck, firing up the engine. It was very similar to the aquatic ones Eren had ridden (or primarily slept) in whilst out in the rainforest. Levi then drove them out to the city, down increasingly familiar roads toward a certain barber's he'd had the pleasure of visiting recently. It was dark by the time they had managed to navigate through the evening rush hour traffic and Kenny was at the door waiting for them when they pulled up out front and started to get out. 

"Levi, Eren, welcome back." He said from the shop building, wrapped in a bath robe. The pair grabbed their bags and let themselves in, following Kenny down the end of the shop and up a set of private stairs. This was all new to Eren, so he took his time in absorbing his surroundings, looking at the decor, trying to understand how the pair lived together when they did. Eren recalled Kenny saying Levi didn't visit often due to work. A pang of guilt also hit him as he recalled Erwin saying he wished he could have given Levi more time to spend here. 

If the man was bothered by it though, he didn't show it. Although would he? Eren supposed he could always ask the older man. He'd said it himself he was usually quite transparent when it came to personal questions. 

"Alright boys, sorry about the lack of places to sleep, but one of you lovelies gets the sofa, unless of course you want to share with yourselves or me." He said, wiggling his eyebrows. Levi instantly called shotgun on the sofa. 

"Are you sure?" 

"Eren, you've never slept on my sofa here. Trust me when I call shotgun." He said with a mischievous smirk, piquing Eren's curiosity. Levi led Eren up to the loft where he recalled Kenny saying he stayed when he visited. The pair walked up a narrow set of carpeted steps which curved around and up and Levi kindly pointed to a door at the top of the steps, informing him of the bathroom's location. It wasn't like their one at the barracks however, both shower and toilet were in the same room. 

Once inside the main loft space and the lights had been flicked on, Eren realised it was very much like their room in Levi's officers quarters, only a little more homely. 

There was a large single bed by the rear side of the loft, whereas there was a desk below a window on the road facing side. There was a small heater in the centre against the low ceiling surrounded by two well-used leather chairs and an old leather sofa. The furniture sat atop a brightly coloured but tasteful rug and the dark leather sofa and chairs were all draped with classic Ragakan weaved blankets, their distinctive festive zigzags warming the space well. 

The bed itself had a similar set of bedding, and along with the rafters which rested above their heads, dangling all kinds of potted plants, the entire place felt very cozy. 

"Wow..." Eren said quietly. He took an extra moment to admire some of the smaller details around the room, such as the fact there were a thick set of velvet curtains near the bed, possibly covering a large window, and there was a collection of framed photographs sat along the shelf above the headboard. He'd have to wait to get closer to see the subjects of the photos, but he was sure he'd see them eventually. 

"So uh, welcome I guess. There's not all that much to do here, so tomorrow we can either go out or have a lazy day around here." Levi said with a shrug. 

"What do you usually do when you're here?" 

"I don't usually have a choice in the matter. I get all of the love and attention in the world I could ever want." Levi said, his tone dripping with sarcasm which earned him an amused chuckle from the younger man. 

"So I take it Kenny likes to..." 

"Smother me? Yes." Levi said with a sigh.

"We can go out if you want?" 

"Let's just play it by ear. It's only a day. See how you feel in the morning." 

"Mmh. Sure." Eren agreed.

The pair prepared themselves for bed in relative silence, Kenny popping his head up with a tray of tea, to which Levi instantly took and thanked him for. Kenny sat himself down on the armchair in the centre of the room as Eren was sat cross-legged on the opposite one, tidying his fingernails with a file. Levi let himself back into the bathroom and the pair heard a distinct electric toothbrush humming from around the doors. 

"How are you finding your training Eren, it's been what, two weeks now?" Kenny asked. 

"Yeah, its.. It's tough." Eren said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "But I love it." 

"That's great to hear." Kenny said, catching the sullen look on the boy's face. "What is it?" he asked softly. Eren pressed his lips together into a thin line before shrugging. 

"I don't know, it seems like Levi isn't exactly happy being forced into having to babysit me." Eren admitted. Kenny laughed at him, to the boy's surprise, earning the older man a glare from the younger. 

"What?" 

"Oh boy, you've got it all wrong." 

"Huh? But I thought..." Eren mumbled, thinking back to all the little tell-tell signs that Levi was less than happy with his current living arrangements. The change in routine, the constant supervision, the snarky remarks to his superior regarding his significant decrease in free time. 

"You think he resents you?" 

"Well uh, yeah actually." Eren admitted with a frown. Kenny leant forward and poured him a cup of tea, picking up one for himself too, sitting back and smiling at the boy. 

"He _volunteered_ to supervise you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Tumblr](http://agent-2-6.tumblr.com).


	15. Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Eren's help, Jean comes to an understanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of the awesome support so far! It means the world that you take the time to leave kudos and comments. :D
> 
> In others news I'm on [Tumblr](http://agent-2-6.tumblr.com).  
> Come say hello :)

To Eren's surprise, when he awoke the next day in Levi's bed it was around five in the morning. Usually he'd be roused by Levi getting up at four, but the man was nowhere to be seen in the dark of the room. Before any anxiety could settle however, Eren heard a shuffle coming from the sofa in the centre of the room. Eren swung his legs off the bed and pushed himself up, padding out of the room and into the bathroom. When he returned, he noticed Levi was sprawled across the sofa with arms and legs poking out in all directions from the blankets. It was a long sofa (and Levi was a short man), so regardless of the position he was in he looked ridiculously comfortable. 

Eren decided since Levi was sleeping in, he would go back to bed too. He must not have realised how tired his body was with the previous two weeks of training as he did manage to doze back off, but he was awoken some time later to Levi ripping the thick curtains open, flooding the whole room with natural light in an instant. Eren groaned and cocooned himself further into his duvet. 

"Good morning to you too, Eren Yeager." Levi said, a little too cheerily to be unsuspicious. 

"What did that sofa do to the real Levi?" Eren grumbled. Levi snorted and opened the large doors that were behind the curtains, stepping out. 

Eren flung the duvet off himself and rubbed his eyes, briskly getting used to the light. He leant up onto his elbows and looked around the room. Now with natural lighting filling every dark spot he'd missed last night he was able to get a good look at the space. He sat fully up and turned to look at the shelf above the bed. There were four framed photographs, all of Levi with the same two people, arms around each other and smiling. Two of the photos Levi was with them individually and two were group shots. There was a woman in the photo with ginger hair and a goofy grin and a man with dirty blonde hair who was much taller than the pair of them. 

In one of the group shots, all three of them were in military uniform. They must be friends of Levi's, but Eren didn't recall ever seeing them around the base in the last two weeks. Eren carefully took the group photo of the trio in Scouts garb, stood outdoors somewhere. Under close examination there was a banner in the background with a scripture reading a year, as well as 'graduating class'. They must have all gone through training together. That was when Eren noticed the date. 

"Levi." Eren called. 

"Mmm?" Levi hummed from outdoors somewhere. Eren turned to look and find a balcony there with two colourful deck chairs overlooking the back yard. He got up and wandered over to the open doors. The morning air was pleasantly cool, but a little bit nippy. Still holding the frame, he turned it and asked Levi. 

"How old are you?" 

Levi laughed at him. If Eren thought Levi's smile was a thing of beauty, Levi's laugh was something else. He tightened his grip on the frame just enough to bring himself back from getting distracted by the sound. 

"Take a guess." Levi said, a playful smirk on his face. 

"If the date in this picture is correct it makes you twenty-six." 

"Are you saying I don't look my age?" Levi smirked as Eren's face paled as he clearly attempted to think of something to say. 

"It's not that! It's uh, just." Eren paused, looking down at the photograph. He didn't want to admit he'd genuinely believed him to be younger, and thus, more likely to have a chance at romance, as silly as the idea sounded in his own mind. 

"Spit it out. You look like you need a good shit."

"And what if I do?" Eren exclaimed before he realised what he said, covering his mouth as Levi laughed at him. 

"Ha, seems my sense of humour is rubbing off on you." Levi said as Eren took a seat on the small balcony with Levi, enjoying the morning sun rising. Levi scooted off the blanket he'd been sat on, holding it out to the teenager who threw it around his shoulders to keep the chill off. 

"I guess that's what I get for spending almost two weeks with you." Eren snorted. 

"Yeah, we're not even a quarter of the way through either." Levi said. "Anyway I'm actually twenty-five, but keep that to yourself." Eren nodded fervently. "Erwin would quite like the recruits to think I'm older than I am. Apparently it makes them respect me more or some shit like that." 

"Oh." Eren said. "Speaking of shit like that, back in a minute." Eren said with a smile as he got up and went back into the loft to put the frame back and tend to his bowels. Levi sat contently enjoying the morning song from the colourful birds that lived around the tall tropical city trees. The yard backing onto the barber's was narrow but long and held a lot of old trees near the sides and rear, so offered some peace when you needed it. Levi would usually spend his rest days sitting out on the balcony in the sun with a cup of iced tea, enjoying doing literally nothing. He vaguely wondered whether he'd get away with his usual routine or whether Eren would want to do anything. Hopefully the boy was tired enough to want to stay in. 

When he returned, Eren had significantly more clothes on, clearly set on sitting outside for a little while longer with more than just a blanket. 

"Good shit?" 

"Saving it for later." Eren said with a comfortable smile. 

"So what do you want to do today?" Levi asked, stretching his arms out. It was still fairly early in the morning. 

"I was actually hoping to do some more training today." 

"You're allowed a day off, you know?" 

"Yeah I know, but-" 

"You're on a rest day. Do what the name suggests. Rest." Levi's tone left no room for argument. "You can still do your core exercises but I don't want you doing more than a couple of hours. You'll hurt yourself if you push yourself too hard." 

"Alright." 

"So what else did you want to do?" 

"Orders are orders, I guess it looks like I'm resting." 

"Well, in that case, I know just the thing we can do." Levi said, smirking. Eren looked at him, confused as to where the real Levi had gone, convinced he had actually in fact been eaten by the sofa overnight. 

"Which is?" 

"A surprise?" 

"Pfft. You're no fun." 

"We'll see how long that statement lasts." Levi said, leaving Eren to wonder. 

Following breakfast with Kenny and respective showers, Eren was confronted with the next door neighbour's back yard, Levi uncovering their pool. Levi had given him a pair of swim shorts and led him outside, the pair of them wearing only flip flops and trunks, crawling through the bushes into the property over's garden. 

"Uh, are we allowed to be here?" Eren asked, nervously looking around, particularly at the back of the building which was next door to the barber. Levi either didn't hear Eren's voiced concerns or just ignored it, making him worry more. Levi threw a folded lump of plastic at Eren and he stared at it as if the man had just thrown a dead fish at him. 

"Make yourself useful and blow those up." He said, returning to rolling in the large light blue cover from the water. Eren knelt over and pulled the two inflatable objects apart, hunting for the inlet as well as trying to figure out what they were. Once he'd found them he sat on the grass beside the bushes they'd snuck through and started blowing into them. Soon enough Eren discovered he was inflating a coloured single mattress. Levi soon joined in with inflating the second one. 

"I think you're better at blowing than me." Eren huffed, tired. Levi simply kept his lips latched around his own lilo inlet and blew. Eren could tell he was smirking at something but it took a moment for it to sink in. "You're the worst." He said, glaring at him with no real venom. 

"I try." Levi said between breaths. Eren finished his before Levi, although only by about a minute. Eren was still a little concerned about whether or not they were trespassing or not, but relaxed a little once they were in the cool water. The sun was starting to burn off the clouds, leaving the air pleasantly warm and rapidly heating. Levi had spent a couple of minutes netting out a few leaves from the water but otherwise the water was clear, thanks to the cover. 

The pair got comfortable on their inflatable beds and Levi closed his eyes, resting in the sun. 

"You're like a totally different person outside of the base." Eren commented after they'd floated around for a good thirty minutes in silence.

"It's nice to not have to be so fucking serious all of the time. Even if for a day." Levi said indifferently, not opening his eyes to look at Eren as he spoke. The only movement he made was to rest his hands behind his head. "The choices I make at work affect lives. I have to be on high alert all the time." 

"Fair enough. How often do you get days like these?" 

"Eh, a day to do jack shit? About every month or two?" 

"Oh, we'd better make the most of it then? Is there anything you want to do? You can always leave me with Kenny, I promise I won't go anywhere if there's things you need to do." 

"Relax, Eren. Besides, I ought to be the one fucking ask you if there's anything _you_ want to do. How many years has it been?" Levi said, actually turning on his lilo to look at Eren, squinting in the sun slightly in the process. Eren shrunk under his glare and pressed his lips into a thin line.

"This is nice." Eren eventually said, falling silent, unsure what else to say for fear of him interrupting Levi's only day off in months. Levi seemed to return to his relaxation and at some stage Eren must have dozed off lightly or got caught up in his own thoughts because he completely missed the sound of Levi removing himself from his own lilo to duck beneath Eren's and flip it over. 

"Uwaah!" 

_Splash!_

Eren emerged from the water coughing and looking like a drowned rat with a look of pure disbelief on his face. Levi simply grinned at him until that usual fiery look of determination glinted in the boy's eyes, forcing him to do a one-eighty degree turn, making a run for it as Eren hunted his ass down, tackling him into the shallow end.

"Shi-" Levi was interrupted by a heavy weight pushing him into the water, so he twisted in the water beneath Eren's weight and pulled him up out of the water with a headlock. Eren laughed, which Levi took as his sign the boy was alright, before splashing water into his face. Eren's response was to waft his arms around in an attempt to splash him back, most of the water successfully hitting target somewhere. The pair descended into splashing at each other like twelve year old girls having an argument at a pool party, scaring off a few birds with the noise they were making. 

Once they'd calmed down and stopped splashing each other, they returned to their lilos. Eren sat on his in the middle, bending it in half with his weight whereas Levi laid over the middle of his own.

"You look like a flying fish." Eren told him with a smirk. It was true, he was currently sporting a pair of impressive inflatable 'wings' on either side. Levi simply bobbed in the water, closing his fist around the water, squirting little shoots off in Eren's direction. 

"Hey! How do you do that?" Eren asked, mimicking Levi and failing horribly, opening and closing his fist in the water. Levi balanced over his inflatable mattress and started squirting water jets at Eren with both hands. Eren, frustrated that he couldn't do it, he resulted in pushing water at the older man who just rolled off his mattress, swimming off. 

Once the pair had grown tired of swimming, following a few laps as their daily exercise, they got out and returned to the home above the barber's shop. 

"Have fun out there?" Kenny asked from his position in the kitchen, preparing what looked like a roast bird of some sort. 

"Yeah," Eren said as Levi hummed from under his towel, drying his hair off. 

"You chose a good time to come in, it's getting hot out there. What are you two doing today?" 

"The usual, I guess," Levi answered him, leaving the towel to hang around his shoulders as he leant around Kenny''s side to get a look at what he was making. "Looks good, is this dinner or lunches?" He knew Kenny had a habit of batch cooking a large meal at the end of the week in preparation for the week ahead. Today was not one of those days, as marked by a chuckle on Kenny's part.

"You think I'd let you two go hungry when I only get to see you for one day?" 

"Point taken," Levi said. 

"It smells great..." Eren added from his seat at the kitchen table. 

"Wait 'till you taste it, my boy." 

"Can't wait." 

So the three of them chatted lightly, followed by tea and chopped fruit out on Kenny's slightly larger balcony for the next two hours or so, relaxing in the mid-afternoon shade. Once the timer sounded, the trio worked together in setting the table, plating the food and enjoyed a meal together. After everything had been washed up, Levi tapped Eren's shoulder and beckoned him to follow him back up to the loft, which he did. Levi sat him down at his desk and wiggled the mouse, waking the computer up. 

"What are we doing?" 

"Surprise." Levi didn't give anything else away, other than opening a program and tapping a few things. Before he knew it, the screen was ringing and once answered, the screen's image filled with a very familiar young woman. 

"Mikasa!" 

"Eren!" The pair exclaimed in unison. Levi leant over Eren's shoulder to position himself within their own camera. He gave a little wave and Mikasa smiled. 

"Hello Levi" Mikasa said. 

"I'll leave you two to catch up." Levi said, returning about his business. He didn't really overhear a whole lot of the pair's excited conversation since Eren was suddenly speaking fluently in an entirely different language, something he'd only ever seen on paper as one of his abilities. Karanese suited him a lot more than Ragakan as far as languages went. Figuring he wouldn't decipher anything since he didn't speak a word of the language, Levi headed downstairs, figuring the two would probably be talking for a while. Filling himself a kettle, he moved through to Kenny's living room and sat himself down onto his oversized leather bean bag.

Meanwhile upstairs...

"Oh my gosh, Eren look at you!" Mikasa exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear on the screen. Eren felt his cheeks heat up a little bit at the compliment, something he was slowly growing accustomed to. 

"Heh, you like it?" Eren asked with a slight smile, brushing some hair out of his eyes, tucking it behind his ears only for it to fall again since it was too short. Mikasa nodded fervently.

"You look so handsome." She said quietly, smiling. Eren didn't suppose he'd ever grow used to the compliments. He'd never seen his appearance as something that particularly mattered in the jungle. Sure, some drunken Titans had attempted to have their way with him, saying he was a 'pretty little thing', even when he was looking his worst, so he'd come to terms that his looks would be something that would only ever cause him trouble. 

"Thanks, I guess. I'm still not completely used to getting so many compliments. You're looking really well yourself too. I like your top." Eren said, gesturing to her clothes, which were of a shiny silk material in a delicate floral pattern, the neck crossing over and fastening up in a way he'd never before seen on Ragakan garments. 

"Oh, thank you." It was Mikasa's turn to blush. "It's actually a dress." She said, standing up behind her own computer and stepping back. Eren smiled broadly as she showed off her dress, which the pattern followed all the way down, cutting off at the knee. She looked beautiful. He couldn't much decipher her surroundings, since she had a wall behind her, but Mikasa could see the entirety of Levi's quirky loft from where Eren was sat, since the desk was up against the wall. 

"What time it is over there?" Eren asked. The room she was in seemed a lot lighter than his own, which was lit by the desk lamp and a standing lamp by Levi's sofa. 

"Oh, it's eleven. You?" 

"I dunno, five or six at least. How are your relatives?" 

"Oh, do you want to meet them?" Mikasa said with more excitement than he'd ever seen from her in the rainforest. 

"Sure?" 

Mikasa ran off to presumably fetch her aunt and/or uncle and returned a few moments later, squeezing a pair of bodies into the camera's frame. They had a brief conversation, and Eren concluded that they seemed nice. Mikasa had to translate, since they didn't speak a word of Karanese or Ragakan. Because of the language barrier their conversation didn't last too long, simple introductions and basic questions exchanged. Once they had left and it was just Mikasa again, she asked Eren where he was. 

"Well actually..." Eren said, his lips turning into an uncontainable grin. "I'm in Levi's loft." 

"Levi had said something about you staying with him. How is that going? Tell me all about it. He's not mistreating you, is he?" Mikasa said, tone deadly serious. 

Eren chuckled and shook his head. "No, everything is fine. He's supervising my training so I can join the Scouts and fight the Titans." He explained a few other details, covering the basics of his arrangement with the Captain and the Commander, his upcoming examinations, his previous two weeks of training and any little detail in between. His short stay in prison, reuniting with Armin and his arguments with Jean. 

"Oh, wow." Mikasa went quiet for a moment before asking: "So is it true?" she asked, a devilish smirk on her face. 

"Is what true?" 

"That you and Levi are..." she let the question hang in the air, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Eren's mouth dropped open and he turned bright red. 

"No! It.. it's not!" He said, kicking himself internally for not sounding cool about it at all. 

"You like him, don't you?" She asked. 

"He's an amazing trainer, and he's kind. He's not as much of a dick as he was in the forest. He's far less grumpy on his days off." 

"Ooh, is that so?" 

"Heh, yeah." 

"But I didn't mean like that. Don't think I didn't notice you and Nac behind the tent that one time." Mikasa said, almost a whisper, still grinning. Eren was mortified. He'd thought they were alone. The look on Eren's face made Mikasa burst out into a hearty laugh, a beautiful sound that made his mortification a little easier to bear. He could feel his heart swelling with happiness at the thought that she was okay. Eren simply scoffed at Mikasa's comment about Nac, not admitting nor denying it. 

"Pfft. Fine. I like him. Happy now?" 

"I knew it!" Mikasa hollered through her microphone. Eren winced at the volume but couldn't stop himself from smiling. As far as he was aware Levi nor Kenny were nearby, or spoke Karanese, so his little confession would remain in this room. 

"Keep that to yourself." He warned with no harshness. Mikasa simply bobbed in her seat joyously and grinned triumphantly. 

"So have you kissed?" Eren wasn't sure who this Mikasa was, bold and assertive. He'd only ever really seen a few aspects of her, never in a relaxed environment. He figured it would take some time to get to know one another properly. 

"What? No! He's like, my boss now!"

"Doesn't mean you don't want to..." Mikasa teased. 

"So how is it back home?" Eren said, shamelessly changing the topic. Mikasa giggled and indulged his question anyway, allowing the conversation to move away from Eren's little infatuation (only after insisting she be invited to the wedding, causing Eren to groan). She was at a laptop, so she lifted it and showed Eren all around her new home. The weather was less than desirable, with light drizzle so Eren was only granted grainy view of what looked like an otherwise beautifully kept, large garden that stretched for what could have been miles. 

The garden was full of plants that Eren didn't recognise and he didn't spare Mikasa a chance to escape telling him all about the country and it's weather, people and places. The rest of the house seemed fairly large and was decorated nicely, and was positioned (judging by the view from the front door) at the the end of a long, narrow street of houses with similarly large gardens, somewhere in a city suburb. 

Mikasa found herself somewhere to sit with her laptop and idly stroked her aunt's large Rottweiler which draped itself over her lap once she'd sat down.

"Cute, what's his name?" Eren asked when Mikasa laughed, their earlier conversation being interrupted by the large lump of dog wanting attention. 

Eren could hear footsteps returning from somewhere downstairs, presumably Levi as he got himself ready for bed in the bathroom. 

"This is Po."

"Odd name." Eren smiled, looking at the large dog getting comfortable across Mikasa's lap. 

"Yeah, it's technically not an uncommon name here but it's short for 'pickled onions'." Mikasa laughed softly at the statement and Eren's facial expression at it. He looked somewhere between amused and confused. "Yeah, yeah I know it's a really weird name for a dog. It was my uncle's idea and Po just has a better ring than calling after a pickled onion in the street." Mikasa said, making Eren laugh. 

"Well I gotta go soon, so we'll speak again next time you're at Levi's?" Mikasa asked, stroking Po's ears. 

"Yeah that sounds great. I already can't wait." 

As soon as the call dropped, Levi let himself into the room with a towel around his waist and damp hair. Must've had a shower, Eren assumed. 

"How is she?" Levi asked as if he hadn't already had this conversation with the young woman a few days prior when he'd managed to get hold of her contact details. 

"Yeah, she seems really happy. I miss her though." Eren said with a small shrug. 

"Ready for tomorrow?" Levi asked as he nestled himself back onto his personality-changing sofa, pulling on a pair of boxers beyond Eren's line of sight. 

"I can't wait, actually. I mean today was so awesome but I'm keen to get training again." Eren said as he moved over to his own bed, slipping under the sheets and getting comfortable. 

"We'll start the morning with a run, but on concrete this time. Always good to shake things up a bit. That and I want to see where you're at for progress." 

"Sounds like a plan." 

The Monday following their relaxing day off begun with a drive back to the military compound, dropping off their bags before Levi proceeded to have a very brief meeting to discuss Eren's recent written test results. The kid was well educated in worldly matters down to his interaction with children of other nationalities during his time in captivity. Levi saw no reason to dig any deeper, but he didn't allow the information to leave him completely, keeping hold of it at the back of his mind, just in case. 

Following Eren's brief explanation to Levi's brief questions, the duo headed out to the opposite side of the complex to the beach, lining themselves up with a long stretch of tarmac, lights blinking softly around it's edges and down the centre. It looked like a runway for planes, which was precisely what it was. The Scouting regiment primarily used helicopters, leaving this area reasonably quiet. Levi explained that this would be where the real test would be set. They warmed up and Levi hit the timer, running alongside Eren as they completed their run at the younger's pace. 

Out of breath and finished with downing half his bottle of water, Eren stood up straight and asked Levi, (who had barely broken a sweat), what his result was. 

"It's a pass." Levi said. Eren's face lit up, only to be struck down just as fast. "If you want to work at a desk. Thirteen minutes, twenty seconds, and that's on concrete, where you're faster. Where it's easier."

"Oh." 

"You've got ten weeks to get to ten minutes or less on concrete. Otherwise we're both waiting another two months." Levi reminded him sternly. He gave Eren a few pointers regarding his run and led him over to the training classrooms where he'd partake in his academic training up until noon for the next four weeks. The afternoons would be spent on physical training and survival techniques, gaining as much practice as he could. The following four weeks would be spent working alongside other trainees, where he would hopefully be integrated fully within his final two weeks in order to gain valuable team building and people skills. 

Levi's plan would be that eventually Eren wouldn't need his constant supervision. Whether or not he passed his exam in three and a half months or not would be another thing. He wanted to give the boy as much freedom as he could, rendering him only supervised when he was either preparing in the morning to leave, or winding down for sleep in the evenings. This way Levi would also not fall back on his own expectations within his own role. The only measurement Levi would take would be informing the perimeter soldiers that "Eren Yeager is not to leave this complex unless accompanied by myself, or unless he has written permission from me." 

So that was the continuation of Eren's training. He attended his classes in the mornings, managed to get into four more fights with Jean regarding his relationship (or lack thereof) with the Captain, and slowly improved on his sand run times. By the end of his seventh week of intense training, he'd gained a decent amount of weight through muscle mass and sped his time from thirteen minutes to eleven. He still had the better part of three months until his final exam and he had dedicated himself to every single tedious task Levi had given him, impressing the man far more than he would ever openly admit. He didn't particularly excel in anything in particular, he was fairly standard as students or trainee recruits went, but he could easily fall within at least the top ten of his current year of cadets through his own sense of sheer determination alone. 

He had taken well to the other cadets in his squad and they in turn had accepted him as one of their own. (Aside from his occasional clashes with Jean, of course.) Some of the other cadets admired him for his survival, others envied him for his solo practice time with the Captain, probably seeing it as an unfair advantage, but the majority of them didn't really know Eren's full backstory. That was a pleasure only Armin had been privy to, as the boy trusted him with his life, despite not having seen him in the better part of seven years. Armin did not excel as physically well as Eren and the others in his squad, but he played key roles in teamwork exercises and training missions, earning them victories based purely from his own intuition and logical mind. The boy also had an exceptional memory and numeracy skills, also assisting in their training. He was also logical and patient, took his time to think things through which Levi found to be a stark contract to Eren who sometimes came with no filter between his brain and mouth. The pair worked well together, picking up on each others weaknesses and accentuating and encouraging what they were both good at. They were a good team, jointly so with the other cadets, which pleased Levi to no ends. It meant he was one step closer to realising his dreams of joining his unit. 

"Eren Yeager. Jean Kirstein!" Levi called across the training grounds, his voice raised over the shouts from the other cadets attempting to pull the two apart as they attempted to go a little further than the necessary combat training exercise. Keith simply stood in his usual spot near the building wall and observed as the Captain stormed over, the crowd parting as if by some invisible force ploughing them all out of the way. Eren instantly tensed and backed away from Jean, who evidently didn't hear the fact that Levi had just raised his voice. Something he rarely did, only when he was genuinely angry. Something you didn't want to be on the receiving end of. 

Levi approached through the swarm of cadets and found a very disgruntled Jean being held back by Marco, a taller youth with the freckles. Jean shook him off and stood up straight, tidying up his ruffled jacket and shirt. He seemed fairly unscathed, aside from a red mark where presumably Eren had landed a hit straight to his jaw. Eren on the other hand has a torn shirt and a split lip, blood also seeping out from somewhere beneath his hairline. Levi's lips were set into a thin line as he glowered at the pair. He turned on his heel and started away from the large group. The pair understood they were to follow and no one stopped them. Armin shot Eren an empathetic smile but otherwise just looked concerned on his behalf. 

Following behind the Captain, the pair of teens walked one behind the other, avoiding contact or communication until Levi led them across to the centre of the training quad. There was a flag pole positioned in the dead centre and Levi wordlessly removed a pair of cable ties from his belt bag. Eren nervously awaited their punishment for scrapping again, figuring by the annoyed tone in Levi's voice this would be their final warning. 

"Kirstein, face the pole. Eren, you too." 

The pair of teens looked at each other skeptically, hesitating. 

"It's not an invitation it's an order. Do it. Now." Levi prompted them, his patience thin. The pair of teens could definitely sense that there were groups of cadets on all sides staring at the show, half expecting Levi to murder them on the spot or at least give them a good verbal lashing for their consistent misdemeanours. Levi simply had them stand facing one another with a flag pole in the middle, instructing them both to wrap their arms around the other. Hesitantly and reluctantly, (with some tongue clicking from Jean's side), the pair obeyed their orders and Levi strapped their wrists together behind the other's back, effectively tying them together, face to face. 

Eren wiggled his wrists behind Jean's back but to no avail, he couldn't move them. Jean tried doing the same, but Levi had pushed the cable ties as far as they would tighten without cutting off circulation to their hands. Having the pole between their bound arms effectively rooted them into place. 

"Comfortable? I'll release you when you've made amends." Levi said, walking off without so much as another word. None of the cadets from their squad dared approach them, but they certainly found the pair's situation fairly amusing. Levi moved back to their squad and the cadets lined up, saluting. 

"If I see anyone so much as try to talk to them two before I release them, I'll put you on cleaning duty for a week." Levi said. Anyone who had been previously placed on Levi's cleaning orders had come back with horror stories which spread amongst the entire unit, making it a much feared experience among cadets of any calibre. Even Levi's personal squad had made comments here or there about his brutality with attention to detail. If you so much as missed one water spot on a mirror, you'd be re-doing the entire room. The cadets stiffened and nodded quickly to express they had heard the man and he walked off, nodding to Keith as he went. 

Meanwhile at the flag pole, Jean had his face pressed up against Eren's left shoulder and Eren's face was up against Jean's right shoulder with the warm metal between them. They were inseparable, in the most un-endearing way possible, teeth grit and grumbling. 

"This is bullshit." Jean muttered as Eren watched Levi strolling back into the building, out of the sun. He didn't even spare a second glance in his direction. 

"Ugh, he told us to make up, so let's just get it over and done with." Eren said, just as displeased with the closeness. Jean just remained quiet, standing still with his arms wrapped around Eren's back. 

After he said nothing, and after shifting his arms as best he could with the uncomfortable position, Eren spoke up. "Well? What's the deal?" 

"Eh?" 

"What's your problem?" Eren asked quietly. He felt Jean tense under his arms. 

"I don't have a problem. You're the one who can't take a fucking joke." Jean spat at the side of Eren's neck since he couldn't comfortably say it to his face. Eren grit his teeth and had a million retorts on the very tip of his tongue, but he held it. Jean must have noticed him tensing his jaw and neck as he turned his head slightly to adjust. 

"I just don't appreciate you spouting shit all the time that isn't even true." Eren said as calmly as he could after a long, tension filled silence between the two. Jean remained quiet, growing uncomfortable in the sun. The two teens remained still, clearly pondering over their own thoughts at the same time. It must have been about five silent minutes before Jean finally spoke up again, probably due to the soreness in his arms at having his wrists strapped behind another man's back. 

"I don't really mean all that shit I say you know?" Jean said with as best an attempt at a shrug as he could manage. 

"Yeah, I know." Eren admitted. 

"Why do you fly off the rails every time then? It's not like any of the shit I come out with is true. It's not like I've mentioned your little episode in holding to anyone either." 

"Yeah well you've insinuated close enough, you may as well have said it outright. It's embarrassing, so it pisses me off." Eren said. "Even if those other guys in holding heard me, so what? I wasn't supposed to end up in the same training regiment as them." 

"Fair point." Jean said, huffing out a laugh. The odds after all, were fairly slim. 

"Yeah, had I have known you'd be spending almost every day with me for the next five months, and probably longer," Eren muttered, "I would have wisely reconsidered my choice in location." Eren said, a small amount of sarcasm lacing his voice which caused Jean to snigger, shoulders shaking a little beside Eren's cheek as he stared out onto the training ground. 

"You're actually alright." Jean said. 

"You're not half bad when you're not publicly grilling me for something I can't control." Eren said, growing irritated again, ready to retaliate at whatever smart comment Jean decided to come back at him with. Both young men were refusing to drop their guard around the other. They had clearly not gotten to the bottom of the issue yet and Eren had the feeling that Levi was probably observing them from afar, waiting for them to be all smiles and sunshine. Jean shifted his head away from Eren's shoulder and moved his face to the other side of the flag pole to look him in the eye. Eren leant back and glared at Jean. 

"You think I'm teasing you for being gay?" He stated plainly. 

"What else are you singling me out for? You're a real asshole so it wouldn't surprise me." Eren said, keeping the same morose expression plastered across his face. 

"You really are a moron." 

"Oh, thanks." Eren spat, squirming as if he were done with the conversation, clearly trying to get loose but only further pressing Jean uncomfortably against the metal bar between them. Jean retaliated with a "Hey!" and pulled Eren back, earning back some slack between them. 

"Shut the fuck up for a minute will you?" Jean said, staring at him sternly. Eren stared angrily at him as he held his tongue, waiting for him to speak his piece. "Wanna know the reason I don't like you?" Jean said and Eren stared at him as if to sarcastically ask permission for enlightenment. "You just rock up halfway through the year, getting all the private tutoring you could want, whereas the rest of us have had to work our asses off to get to where we are. Better yet, you've got quite possibly the world's strongest soldier training you. Do you realise what a big fucking deal that is?" Jean asked. Eren blinked as he spoke, feelings mixed and changing between curiosity, anger and confusion. 

"You think I haven't had to work hard to get where I am now?" Eren asked incredulously, ignoring every other question he had swimming through his mind. Jean had no idea of the details of Eren's background other than how he'd been kidnapped and returned to the city almost seven years later. Jean therefore had no idea of the gravity of what was about to come. Eren stayed quiet for a moment as he considered exactly what he would tell Jean and what he wouldn't. 

"What were you doing when you were eleven or twelve?" Eren asked quietly, almost too calmly considering the tension of anger Jean could feel radiating off the boy's skin, making him uncomfortably warm, even in the sun. Needless to say the question caught him off guard. 

"Eh?" 

"You heard me. What were you doing with your life?" 

"Eren, I'm not trying to discredit whatever it is you went through, so there's no point in comparing our childhoods." Jean said almost nervously, aware he was effectively chained to an angry beast with a thirst for his own blood. 

"Nice to see you can actually say you had a childhood." Eren spat, more bitter than he thought himself capable of. Jean was quiet for a long moment, as was Eren. The pair had hit a stalemate and the conversation went nowhere for the next ten minutes. 

"Sorry." Jean eventually said. 

"Yeah, me too. I was dealt a shitty hand, I shouldn't have taken it out on you." Eren said, willing to do or say anything to get out of being tied to Jean, even if that meant trying to understand and accept his ignorance. 

"Mind if I ask a personal question?" Jean said. Eren hummed and shrugged slightly. 

"May as well." Eren grunted, resigned. 

"What happened?" 

Jean had left the question open and vague, but Eren understood. 

"It's something better shown than told." Eren eventually said, knowing full-well that his itinerary of scars would more than speak for themselves. He figured Jean wouldn't need to ask any further questions if he showed him, and he doubted he would need to discuss his tribulations in much detail, verbally at least. 

"Eh?" Jean cocked his head to the side. 

"I'll show you later, but long story short it wasn't pleasant." 

"Uh, oh, okay." Jean eventually said. Eren tilted his head against his own shoulder.

"So yeah. Are we done here?" Eren asked. 

"I guess." Jean said with a shrug. The two glanced out over the training areas and quietly observed everyone else going about their business. They hadn't been strapped together for long, but the strain on their arms was starting to grow the longer they waited for Levi not to come back. 

An hour passed. 

"Do you think he's coming back?" Eren said hopelessly, feeling tired of standing on the spot. Jean let out a long sigh. 

"I sure hope he is, this ain't gonna be good for my reputation." 

"What reputation?" Eren snickered. 

"With the ladies!" Jean barked out. He sounded completely serious but Eren couldn't help but laugh at him. Jean didn't seem to protest all that much at his laughter, but didn't seem to find anything as amusing. 

"You're really not as unpopular as you think. Sure, you're a jerk a lot of the time but the other cadets speak highly of you most of the time." Eren said with a shrug and a smile, turning to face Jean who was facing away from him. 

"They do?" Jean leant back and turned to look at Eren who was smiling at him. He looked as if he was being genuine with his compliment. 

"Yeah. We all really like you, even if you can be a complete dick." 

"Hm. Thanks." Jean said sarcastically before they fell into another quiet spell. 

"Hey Jean?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Are you jealous of me?" Eren asked, recalling his earlier questions forgotten with his rage. Jean pressed his lips together and shrugged nonchalantly. 

"I don't know a cadet who isn't." He said, which surprised Eren greatly. He'd been thinking himself as one of the stragglers, late to join and in need of catching up, despite Armin's reassurance. Speaking of which the other cadets were still too afraid of Levi's wrath to approach or communicate with them, although some members did shoot the pair amused grins during water breaks. 

"I mean, you're not really that good with much, but you don't give up." Jean expanded. 

"Yeah but determination alone isn't enough to get me where I need to be. It doesn't make me better at anything." 

"No it doesn't, but doing it over and over does, and you're so committed to practicing it's kinda making the rest of us look bad." Jean said with a dry laugh. 

"Hm. I suppose." 

"You know I'm right." He said, grinning slightly, albeit it was his usual wry expression. Eren hummed as he let his words sink in. People envied him? Was he really that special? He wasn't top of the class, as Jean said he wasn't anything extraordinary, but people still looked to him as if he were something worth aspiring toward. He frowned as he realised that none of them had likely been through anything remotely close to what he had been, which had effectively created his determination for revenge, the sole thing that fuelled him. Or so he thought. 

Eren didn't deny or agree to Jean's statement about being correct, merely allowing the silence to engulf them both again. He realised he was starting to feel quite light headed, having been training, followed by a couple of hours stood in the sun without water. He groaned and tiredly resigned to leaning on one another's shoulders, resting whatever weight they could on one another. 

"Where is that short stack?" Jean grumbled, getting tired and irritated. Eren simply groaned in response, not caring enough to add anything to the conversation. By the time Levi returned almost three hours later, the pair were sufficiently fed up with their punishment and both had resigned themselves to silence. Levi cut them loose and handed them both a bottle of some sort of energy drink they often spotted around the compound. Both chugged their drinks in earnest and Levi dismissed them both to return to their training, not wanting to hear another peep out of either of them. He didn't need to say this with so many words, but the teenagers understood.

The pair co-operated well for the last two hours of their training and once released for their dinner, they actually found one another reasonably tolerable. Or at least Eren felt that way and Jean made no attempt to dispute it with his own choice of actions. The dinner table that evening consisted of Ymir, the tall freckled brunet, Christa, her much shorter blonde companion, Connie, the kid with cropped hair and a joker complex, Sasha, the girl with the choppy brown hair and a food complex and Eren and Jean. Later they would be joined by Armin and Marco who scooted in beside Eren and Jean respectively. 

"Hey Armin, Marco." The group greeted with a combination of words, waves and noises. Eren smiled at his friend and looked across the table at Jean's empty tray. "Jean." He said, flicking his head and eyes toward the door. Jean understood the gesture and they got up, excusing themselves from the group. Naturally Connie and Sasha wolf whistled at the pair ludicrously and Jean just gave them the finger. Eren gave the gang a cheeky wink behind Jean's back causing them all, including the usually meek Christa, to burst into laughter at Jean, making him spin on his heels with a glare. Eren played innocent, a childlike smile on his face. 

"Shut it" Jean halfheartedly warned the group, his scowl cracking at the seams. Eren followed Jean to where they retuned their plates and trays and once organised, they left side by side toward the training yards. The sun had since set below the buildings, leaving only a dim natural light. The floodlights had not yet been switched on, leaving the atmosphere in twilight. 

"So what did you want to show me?" Jean asked and Eren shot him an indecipherable look.

"I can't say I particularly _want_ to do this, but it's necessary." Once in position and satisfied that the courtyard was empty enough to proceed, Eren begun unbuttoning his shirt, much to Jean's evident confusion. Whatever snide comments Jean had remained unvoiced as he slowly begun catching glimpses of the other's chest. He failed to notice his jaw dropping, only realising it had happened when he moved to place his hand against his mouth, visibly shocked. 

"You want to know what happened in the jungle?" Eren said as he completely removed his shirt. "See for yourself." 

Jean's eyes slowly looked over Eren's torso, taking in every detail. He had spotted white marks around his now well toned (but still skinny) chest and stomach, as well as what looked like what could only have been where a hot or corrosive liquid had come into contact with his left shoulder, the white skin rippled and uneven. Jean looked down at Eren's hands which were now raised, mottled scars matching his shoulder licked up his wrists which were usually otherwise covered by his sleeves. He only ever wore long sleeves. 

"Shit," Jean muttered through his hand clapped over his mouth as Eren turned around, showing him the pink and white cane scars, some probably only a few months old. Eren shrugged his shirt back on and turned to face Jean as he began buttoning up. Part of him felt relieved that he'd shown someone other than medical persons or Levi. The other part of him felt immensely uncomfortable, as if he had judging eyes raking all over him, sizing him up, evaluating whether he'd fight back or to what extent. He didn't trust Jean, yet here he was exposing himself. Eren repeated in his mind that what he was doing was to improve relations with his team mate and halted any further internal battles. Jean would take it or leave it and that was beyond Eren's control. There was zero point in wasting energy fretting over it. 

"That's not everything, either." Eren said with a grave tone as he finished buttoning his shirt. Jean swallowed thickly enough for it to be visible. Jean moved his hand from his mouth and rubbed the side of his face, almost awkwardly. 

"Anyway," Eren said after Jean had remained silent. "I had better get back." He turned to leave and Jean reached over and grabbed his sleeve, calling after him. Eren looked down at the hand on his arm as Jean released it and Jean apologised again, this time with significantly more sincerity in his voice. 

"Yeah, just don't pity me, alright? That's worse than making shit up and running your mouth." 

"Done," said Jean, saying nothing more as Eren left to rejoin Levi in their quarters. He swiped himself into the officer's building and followed the narrow halls through to Erwin's waiting room, through there and down the hall to Levi's office. He'd been requested should the door ever be shut to knock before entering, so this is what he did upon finding his door closed. A few moments later and he was called in, finding Erwin and another few officers collected around Levi's sofa, scrawling over plans and documents. Levi gave him a tired nod and he let himself up the spiral staircase as they continued working. 

He faintly heard the sounds of people leaving roughly half an hour later and Levi returned upstairs another half an hour after that. 

"How was your day?" Eren asked from his position on his bed. Levi pulled his tie off and threw it onto the bed, moving through the room to the bathroom without a word. Shrugging a little as him being stressed and tired, Eren returned to covering his notes once more before getting under the sheets. Once Levi came back in, he asked again. 

"Fine, just busy." Levi shrugged. "Did you sort out your shit with Kirstein?" 

"I guess." 

"You guess?" 

"Yeah, I'll have to see over the next few days how things go." Eren paused. "Thanks, though." 

"No problem."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fixed the missing ending and suddenly BAM! 100k words! 
> 
> High fives for all, couldn't have done it without ya! 
> 
> ...lets keep going! :D


	16. Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the records state that it took over 100,000 words for this to happen.   
> You can thank me later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies in advance for Erwin being a little bit corrupt and out of character... *shrug* He's got logic behind it, I swear. Now go my pretties! Read!

True to his word, Eren started training his temper where Jean was concerned and Levi was pleased to observe that Jean had started adopting similar practices. The pair avoided each other primarily, but they didn't get into any fights after being tied together for three hours. Certain conversations may have grown a little heated and snide remarks made in frustration, sure, but their relationship was definitely one of improvement. 

They'd just finished another week of training, so on the Saturday evening Levi told Eren to pack for three days instead of their usual one. 

"Why's that?" Eren asked. 

'"The whole camp takes the day off on Monday and I get Tuesday by default 'cause it's a national holiday." 

"Oh yeah, the Summer equinox, right?" 

"Correct." 

"So what do you do?" Levi looked up at him questioningly as he zipped his bag up, finished for the week. "I mean, during the holiday?" 

"If I'm not working I'll just spend it at home with Kenny." Levi said with a small shrug. "The city does this massive summer festival thing though, I haven't been for a few years. It's fun though, if you wanted to go." The Captain cracked a slight smile as he saw Eren's face light up instantly at the suggestion. 

"Only if I can keep training." Eren said cooly after barely containing his excitement. He was attempting to look less energetic but his excitement was all over his face. Levi simply smiled at him and threw his bag over his shoulder. Eren was just about finished with his own so he hurried to finish up and follow the man out to the truck. Once their bags were in the back, Levi tossed Eren the keys, earning a shocked look on the boy's face as soon as he'd caught them and registered what it was he was holding. 

"You're driving today." Levi stated, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. Similarly to earlier, Eren's face lit up and he was practically vibrating with excitement as he circled around to the driver's side. Once in the seat he stared at everything as if it were going to spring into action for him. Levi just snorted in amusement before directing him on what to do and how to not stall the truck. He even instructed Eren to stall it on purpose a few times to get used to how to avoid it, telling him sometimes experience was the best way to learn from one's mistakes. 

Taking just over an hour for the usual forty-minute drive, they managed to arrive at Kenny's barber without issue. Eren had been a little nervous to start with, worried he'd crash and kill them both if he went any faster than forty, but soon felt comfortable driving with Levi instructing him. Eren's cheeks had probably flushed bright red when Levi held his hand over Eren's on the gearstick to get him to "feel the gear shifting properly". Either way, where driving was concerned he'd need more practice but he looked forward to it, rather than dreaded it. 

"Ah, welcome back boys!" Kenny said as they let themselves in. Eren was unsure if Levi actually had a key, as he never had to let himself into Kenny's house, even when he wasn't home it never seemed to be locked. As soon as Eren entered, his senses were assaulted with all kinds of various sweet and savoury scents. Sniffing curiously and following his nose to the kitchen as Kenny chuckled at him, he discovered that the man had been very busy recently. 

Cups, plates and utensils strewn everywhere, mixing bowls and baking trays in the sink, blobs of dough sitting on the counter beside a smattering of flour and an entire island covered with food. 

"Woah, what's all this for?" Eren asked. 

"That would be-" Kenny started, but was interrupted by Levi. 

"...My birthday."

"Wait, it's your birthday?" Eren asked, spinning around to look at Levi who was shrugging off his jacket, hanging it over the end of the sofa. 

"Are you deaf?" Levi asked without any venom in his voice. Eren just pressed his lips together and glared at him, frowning. 

"Hmmph. Well, if it's not then you're not getting anything from me." Eren announced, turning his face away from the older man. Kenny just chortled at the pair as he returned to tidying the kitchen. 

"I'm supervising you, Eren. Even if you did get me something I'd probably be there when you got it so," Levi reasoned, but Eren just folded his arms and tilted his head toward the ceiling, mocking a sulking tantrum. Levi just rolled his eyes in amusement and left to drag their bags up to his loft. As soon as he was gone Eren was up against Kenny's side begging him for ingredients. Kenny grinned in amusement.

"Oh ho, slow down there boy. I'm making a trip to the grocers tomorrow if you want to come along and pick out what you need." Kenny said, attempting to calm the boy down. He seemed so passionate about making this mystery food for Levi he couldn't help but wonder what it was that would use the short list of ingredients he was giving him.

"I dunno if Levi can leave me alone outside of the complex, but can I give you a list?" Eren said with a smile. Kenny returned the smile and nodded, fishing a pen and paper out from the drawer. 

"Good thinking, kiddo. What do you need?" Kenny said, pen at the ready. Eren tilted his head out of the kitchen to ensure Levi was nowhere to be found, then listed what he needed. Kenny looked confused. 

"What are you making?" Kenny asked with a smile. Eren just grinned and tapped his nose. 

"You'll have to wait and find out." 

"Aw, you gotta give me something more than that!" Kenny said, looking over the list again, not understanding how the given ingredients would make anything other than tooth decay. 

"Let's just say it's not from this country." Eren said with a shrug, smiling almost as sweetly as the items on his list. Kenny just hummed and patted the young man on the shoulder, letting him go about his business as he returned to the dishes. 

"Want any help with that?" Eren asked. Kenny nodded and Eren picked up the drying cloth, rubbing down any wet dishes that were handed to him. They finished quickly despite the high amount of dishes there were, since Levi returned and helped Eren put away the dry items. Once all clean to Levi's standards, the trio spent a casual night in with the balcony doors open, watching awful weeknight soaps on repeat from earlier in the week. They returned upstairs, got ready for sleep as they usually did, and the pair of them went to bed. 

The following day was spent more or less relaxing in the sunshine and Kenny's neighbour's pool. Floating on his back, Eren asked the question again. 

"Who's pool is this?" 

Levi was busy trying to do handstands in the deep end, but his arms were too short and he kept flopping over, so Eren just laughed at him. Once he re-emerged, he asked Eren to repeat, so he did. 

"Oh, the owners are at their holiday home." Levi said as he dunked himself under the water again, feet flopping over behind himself with a soft splash. "Kenny looks after the garden when they're away," said Levi as he pushed his wet hair out of his face. "They also think, and this is a direct quote here, that I am 'adorable' and that I can come use the pool whenever I like." 

Eren truly tried to keep a straight face, but failed so miserably, Levi laughing along too. After some casual chit chatting and a few pool games later, the boys came in to dry off and dress up for their evening of festivities. The pair of them were dressed casually in shorts and teeshirts, complete with flip flops. Levi led Eren through delicately coloured streets toward the docks where they held their annual festival. Eren smiled the entire way there and watched in awe as they passed quirky little buildings strung with coloured lanterns and candles. They were travelling through the city's oldest parts, known as the true heart of the country, where their culture was most concentrated, likely on show for the (poor footfall of) tourism. 

"They light candles every year for the fire gods." Levi explained with a slight smile as he watched Eren's wonderment. 

"Oh cool. The Titans used to do that too. We'd light up a few extra citronella candles and they'd give us extra food." Eren said, still smiling. Levi didn't add anything, just smiling along himself. Something did pique his interest though.

"Citronella?" Levi asked. 

"Yeah, those yellow candles they use to deter bugs. Work a treat, do they make them here?" Eren asked.

"Never heard of 'em." Levi said with a shrug. Eren vaguely recalled one of them telling him it was pretty exclusive to a certain part of the forest. Perhaps that information would be useful one day, provided the Titans still operated in the same area. Given how useful the plant was to their day to day living in the jungle, Eren assumed they wouldn't venture far.

"Ooh look at that!" Eren practically yelled, running ahead to point up at a balcony covered with pretty pink and white flowers, small caged birds hanging from the rafters, chirping loudly. Levi slowly strolled over and stopped by Eren's side, looking up. 

"It seems a shame to keep them caged like that." Levi contemplated aloud. 

"Tell me about it," Eren started, the pair walking side by side once more down the winding streets. "Have you seen many of the birds out in the jungle?" 

"Yeah, although I can't really say I was there to sightsee." 

Eren smiled. 

"You really have to see the parrots when they flock together during the mating seasons. It's incredible. Or the butterfly migrations, those are just stunning!" Eren's arms were growing more and more animated the more he spoke, growing passionate about all of the jungle's splendours. Levi was more than content to just listen to him talk about all these different things he saw beauty in. Things he held fond memories of, over the bad. It warmed Levi in long forgotten places, his fondness toward Eren growing with every day spent in each other's company.

"Or, oh! Levi look at this!" Eren took Levi by the wrist and the older man allowed himself to be guided toward a brightly lit stall selling silk lanterns. There were so many different patterns, colours and sizes and Eren's eyes were fixed on all of them, as if- "I've never seen so many in one place before! Wow!" 

"Did you want one?" Levi said, causing Eren to spin and look at him, blushing when he realised he was still holding Levi's wrist and swiftly letting it go. Levi just smiled at the young man and gestured toward the huge collection of lanterns. 

"Gosh would I... but," Eren paused and Levi waited patiently. "Can we get it on the way back? I don't want to carry it." 

Clever. "Sure."

"Oh, and the ants! Levi the ants are so amazing!" Eren began again, voice dripping with enthusiasm with how ant colonies worked together so well it was a true feat of natural science and that apparently the human race could spare to learn a thing or two from them. 

"You're starting to sound like Hange with technology. Get them started you can't shut 'em up." Levi laughed. 

"Hey Levi," Eren said quietly, leaning against the older man as they walked together. Levi held his stride, comfortable and strangely content with the proximity. "What is Hange's gender..? Put me out of my misery." Eren said with a sheepish smile. Levi just laughed. 

"It's not really my place to say, you'll have to ask yourself." Levi said, earning himself a whine from Eren and a pout. It didn't last long however as Levi was being dragged by the wrist again to another lantern stand. 

As they followed the narrow lantern lit streets, occasionally their arms would brush against each other's, but neither of them would move away until one pointed something out for the other to see. By the time they got to the docks, they were more or less walking right up against each other. Eren's mouth fell open when he saw the decorations. The city had decked every single mast with pretty glowing lights, every windowsill had coloured red and orange candles and the docks were lined with more lanterns than Eren could take in all at once. 

"Oh woah, it's gorgeous." Eren said, unaware of Levi's eyes on him from the side. All he heard was a hum of agreement before he carried on, Levi following. They passed through the harbour, admiring all of the various stalls, stands and attractions. Levi remained calm throughout their walk, having seen it all before, whereas Eren had clearly never attended the festival before. He wanted to look at every stall and play every single throwing game. Levi gladly obliged every single whim. 

"What do you do with this one?" Eren asked the man at the game stand. It was set up with small pellet rifles and metal slats that were numbered in a large dartboard style circle, a long dark line leading up to the bulls eye, hooked up to a line of firecrackers. 

"You get six pellets, hit an even number and no prize, hit uneven and it's a small one, or hit the firecracker dead centre for our top prize!" The man explained and gestured to the surrounding stuffed animals surrounding the stall. Levi took careful notice that the main prize was a large parrot plushie. 

"Ooh, want to?" Eren asked Levi, who nodded, handing over the necessary funds for the pellets. Levi watched Eren, carefully seeing if he'd been paying attention in his firearms lessons. Eren seemed painfully aware of the observation but grit his teeth, eyes narrowing in a determination only Eren Yeager could express towards a festival game stand. Eren managed to win a small parrot toy by hitting a seventy-seven, whereas Levi took the stand and all six pellets pinged loudly against the centre ring and setting off the firecrackers, despite the aim on the rifle being off slightly, likely on purpose to keep people playing. 

Eren's jaw dropped as Levi was handed the huge red macaw. Levi just grinned, handing it to Eren who looked mortified and amazed. 

"I guess I really need to work on my aim, huh?" Eren laughed, taking the stuffed toy and offering Levi his own smaller one in return. Both men exchanged smiles and carried on about their ambling through the brightly lit port. 

"Hey Eren, you hungry?"

"Yeah, actually. Have something in mind?" 

"Yeah, it's this way." Levi led Eren uphill into a narrow, similarly decorated street, before leading him through a series of alleyways and out into a small, leafy opening. Upon closer inspection, Eren realised that they had arrived at a restaurant. It was well hidden, a good row behind the houses and far from the busy streets. They could still hear the occasional loud excited scream or firecracker but they sounded like dull hums once they were inside the building. 

The decor was very similar to many other old Ragakan buildings, with ornate decorative wood carvings, lots of exotic plant life and brightly coloured rugs and tapestries depicting historical events or scenes of prosperity. Levi smiled and guided Eren through the restaurant to find a table. It was remarkably quiet in the restaurant side, but the far side had a bar which seemed a lot busier with tourists who had probably accidentally stumbled across the place. 

"Woah, I feel kinda bad for wearing flip flops, you know?" 

"Check out the waiter." Levi said. Eren's eyes snapped over to the young Ragakan man who was pretty much wearing a teeshirt, shorts and flip flops. Eren just laughed and turned to look at his menu. Unsure what to have, Levi recommended a few things and between them both they ordered most things Levi suggested. The entire meal was delicious, but didn't come close to Kenny's cooking. Eren hummed with pleasure at every other mouthful, Levi simply smiling at him as he enjoyed himself. Now was not the time to be worrying about work, so he pushed all thoughts of returning away from his mind after first checking his phone discreetly, just in case. 

"Yeah, it's amazing but the portion sizes are pretty big, want to share one?" Levi asked Eren who was regarding something on the dessert menu. 

"Sure." He said, up to the waiter who took the order with him, leaving the two soldiers with their pot of tea. The restaurant was pleasantly quiet and homely and with the cooling night air, the temperature was just right after a searing day. Their dessert arrived, another national specialty, and they ate it in quiet comfort, tipping generously and waving goodnight. 

Eren briefly overheard something in Karanese, and his head flung to the side, spotting a trio of very drunk looking tourist women. Levi regarded him curiously, his eyes following Eren's direction, the women pointing at them and babbling in words he didn't understand. Until of course Eren joined in, leaving him completely in the dark. 

"Oh, hello." Eren said.

"Are you that kid? From like, the jungle?" one woman slurred, smiling stupidly. Eren just shrugged slightly and nodded with a smile, keeping close to Levi. 

"That's me." 

"Oh, he's cute, don't you think?" one woman said to her friend, who was positively undressing Eren with her eyes. A look of which Levi did not take lightly to. 

"They're drunk, let's go." Levi tried. Eren complied quickly, turning his back on the trio and walking away.

"Hey hey, where you going gorgeous?" A woman called after them in her native tongue. Eren glanced over his shoulder and stopped carefully as the three approached them. Levi watched carefully at the exchange as Eren spoke to the three with practiced ease. He understood a few words here and there, but couldn't catch most of the conversation. It was only when Eren informed him they don't speak a word of Ragakan did he feel involved at all. 

Eren was seemingly trying to blush and bumble his way out of the three bloodthirsty predator's grasps, so Levi gently nudged Eren's side. 

"What is it?" He asked.

Eren looked flustered. "They want to buy us a drink..." 

Levi shrugged. 

"You're not legal, I hope they realise that." 

Eren simply smiled sheepishly and nodded, assuring him he would inform them that they would only be staying for one drink, as they had other things to be doing. Satisfied, the three were joined by the two men at the rear of the secluded restaurant at it's slightly busier bar area. Eren ordered a coconut water and Levi had another tea, focusing more on the tea than the conversation, since it was entirely in another language. The trio laughed along as Eren chatted with them for a while, sipping at their drinks and getting a little too touchy for Levi's liking. They seemed too inebriated to respect boundaries and Eren didn't sound confident in turning them down, clearly tensing at the light touches to his shoulders and arms. 

"Oh shit, Levi. I'm sorry." Eren said. Levi looked up, looking concerned. 

"What is it?" 

Eren's cheeks and ears were bright red and the three women were looking incredulously at Levi. Right at him, as if they were dissecting him with their glares before plastering the falsest smiles upon their flushed faces. He'd never felt so much venom pointed in his direction in one go before, until Eren attempted to calm them down, smiling awkwardly. 

"The fuck did you tell them?" Levi muttered under his breath.

"I might have, sort of told them we were dating so they'd stop asking if I'd like to go back to their hotel and... have fun... with them... all... at once." Eren speedily admitting, breaking into a royal mumble at the end, painfully embarrassed. Levi just rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around Eren's slumped form, keeping his eyes on the three women. Eren's mind left the building for a short while whilst he died of embarrassment, but the warmth of Levi's arms around his shoulders and the firmness of his chest put him to rest slightly, easing him. 

"Can you tell them we've gotta go?" Levi whispered to Eren's ear. He nodded and Levi let him go so he could detach themselves from their new... friends. Once out of the restaurant and far enough away, the pair broke into unabashed laughter in a quiet alleyway, the soft popping of crackers and fireworks in the background. Levi slowed to a stop as Eren did, to look up at an overhead bird cage. It had a huge white parakeet inside, chirping along to the sounds of the fireworks. It was only in this moment did Levi realise how physically close they had gotten.

Eren looked down and seemed to realise the same thing, looking down directly at Levi for a long moment. Levi caught the younger man's eyes dart down and he found his own drifting in what felt like a very long moment. Despite his best efforts to remain somewhat distanced, Levi could not deny that he wanted to kiss Eren in that moment. Just as the silence stretched into the borders of awkwardness, Eren cleared his throat and shifted, leaving nothing between them but heated cheeks and clouded senses. Levi had to blink himself back to his usual state of awareness, unaware of when the sharpness had left. 

That was when he realised it would be very dangerous to develop any further feelings toward the teenager. He would have to evaluate just how close they were growing, before setting some clear boundaries. This would all have to be done at a later date when Levi's mind wasn't still slightly muddled by the previous moment's proximity. 

"Heh, thanks for dinner, by the way." Eren said, attempting to change the topic to anything other than silence. 

"No problem, let's go see the lanterns." Levi said. 

"What the ones in the stalls?" 

"Nope." Levi said with a cheeky grin, a glint of mystery flashing across his eyes, piquing Eren's curiosity. "Come on." Levi moved onward towards the docks once more, keeping his eyes peeled for the best place to watch the upcoming spectacle. They picked up a couple of sparklers on the way from a fireworks stand and the pair slowly ambled along at their comfortable speed, shoulders brushing as they waved their sparklers around. Despite his earlier thoughts of wanting to kiss Eren, Levi took him out onto a quiet dock facing the sea. They reached the end which was lined with fairy lights and candles and sat down, dangling their legs over the edge, their feet hanging just above the still seawater, flip flops by their sides. 

Levi knew Eren wouldn't get too many chances to experience this sort of thing if he got into the Scouts, so he wanted to make sure this trip was as good as it could be. Somewhere along the way Levi had forgotten why he didn't like coming to these festivals, the idea pushed into the farthest depths of his memory, refusing to allow it to surface today. The pair watched their own sparklers until they burnt out, tossing the stubs into the water where they sizzled out and sunk like lead. 

"So what happens next?" Eren asked, leaning back on his hands and looking up to the sky. "Fireworks?" 

"Better." Levi said, remaining sat upright. 

They didn't have long to wait until a stream of fireworks was lit to signal the beginning of the main event. People from all over started to flock toward the docks within the ten minutes that followed, but since Eren and Levi had arrived early, they had one of the best seats. They watched patiently as a few lit boats paddled back and forth across the water just outside the docks, releasing floating lanterns onto the surface of the water. Eren just sat up and smiled softly, watching the lanterns float from the left to the right of his view before the small collection of boats would gather them up and release them again, making the stream seem endless. 

"At the end of the night, they let the lanterns float out to sea." Levi explained quietly. Eren just hummed, listening to Levi's voice more than the words. "They say it's something to do with providing lights for all of the fishermen lost at sea, looking for their way home." Levi didn't notice that Eren had slowly sat back into a seated position, or that he had leant his head onto his shoulder until he felt a heavy weight there. 

They sat in silence for a long while, watching the lanterns float idly by. Levi had thought that Eren was tired and possibly falling asleep on his shoulder, so moved gently to turn in his direction. "Hey, you wanna go-" Levi was cut off by the feeling of lips against his own, catching him completely off guard, forcing him to blink and jolt away in surprise, effectively breaking the kiss as soon as their lips touched. Levi's eyes widened and he looked at Eren who now, realising what he'd done, looked mortified. Levi just stared at him, still slightly surprised as Eren begun babbling apologies. 

"I, um. I didn't mean- I just, you were-" Eren was the one cut off this time by a particularly strong hand on the back of his neck pulling him down against Levi's lips once more. Levi felt his heart thrumming through the sides of his head, past his ears and heavily into his chest, whereas Eren's whole body seized up for a whole moment while he realised Levi wasn't murdering him for what he'd done. Levi felt Eren was holding his breath as he pressed his lips against Eren's, loosening the pressure slightly so he could enjoy the feeling of those perfect lips with more ease. Levi ran his hand through Eren's soft hair and the young man let out a soft groan, slowly releasing that tense breath and melting into Levi's embrace. 

It was a strange feeling, being held by Levi as he slowly and tenderly kissed him. Eren felt relieved, satisfied, nervous and terrified all in one go. He felt Levi shifting beside him, moving one of his arms on his behalf to Levi's waist and Eren had to admit, he had no idea what he was doing, just turning completely compliant in Levi's grip, holding him in return, albeit tentatively. If Levi's lack of practice was showing, Eren didn't notice, but eventually they parted, lips pink and cheeks flushed. The kiss couldn't have lasted longer than ten seconds but it had felt like an eternity to both of them within the moment.

It was in that moment that Eren saw a dark look flash over Levi's facial features, before he leant forward to cup his face in his hands, rubbing it as if to shake a bad dream. Eren's earlier feelings of anxiety flared up brighter than the fireworks, terrified that Levi had regretted kissing him. 

"Shit, Eren. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have." Levi said, releasing his face to look out over the dark sea, his shoulders sagging.

"I enjoyed it." Eren said with a shrug. 

"Doesn't mean I should have done it." Levi argued. 

"Did you enjoy it?" Eren asked, glaring at the older man, who seemed taken back by his question. 

"Yes." He seemed embarrassed to admit after a long pause.

"Are you sure?" Eren asked firmly. 

"Look, Eren. It would be a fuck load easier if we didn't do this. I'm your superior. If Erwin ever found out we'd both be-" 

"He doesn't have to find out." Eren cut him off and Levi just sighed. 

"Let's go home." Levi said, standing up and slipping his flip flops back on and picking up his stuffed toy. Eren followed with his large parrot under his arm and they walked in tense silence until they reached the first lantern stall from earlier. Eren was sure Levi was going to go straight home without a single word, but he nudged Eren and told him to pick one out like he said he could. Eren just smiled slightly, almost nervously since he couldn't gauge what Levi was really thinking and went for a brick-red coloured lantern with gentle wispy patterns on the silk. As it was, Levi's loft only had a bare lightbulb in the back and a few lamps, so the lantern would probably tone down the stark lighting.

Once they started walking, lantern and stuffed parrots in hands, the pair slowly got talking again as if the moment on the dock didn't really happen. (Or that it did happen and it didn't bother either of them.) Either way, neither of them mentioned it and they both found it to be something that hung between them like an invisible barrier, a line neither of them wanted to cross. A tension. 

Once they arrived home, Levi followed Eren upstairs where Kenny was to be found on his sofa, half asleep with the TV on. He perked up a bit upon hearing the boys return and smiled at their prizes. 

"Had a good night out then?" Kenny asked. Eren beamed happily and Levi just nodded with a soft smile before directing Eren upstairs. 

"Hey Eren, take this for me I need to go make a phone call." Levi said, handing the younger man his smaller stuffed bird. Eren regarded him carefully for a short while, worry tracing his features until he nodded once, taking the toy and leaving for the loft. Levi fished his phone from his pocket and carefully let himself out and down the steps into the garden. He selected his contact and walked out far enough to be able to check whether the loft doors were open and that his conversation was going to be private. 

"Erwin speaking." 

"Hey, it's me." 

"What's up?" Erwin asked. Levi always felt reasonably comfortable confiding in his superior. He understood the man would be taking certain pieces of information to his grave on his behalf. 

"I just fucked up." Levi said with a heavy sigh, sitting down on the edge of Kenny's stone garden bench. 

"What's the problem?" Erwin said, patiently allowing Levi to unveil the information at his own pace. 

"What would happen if I weren't able to supervise Eren?" 

"Levi?" Erwin inquired. 

"What would happen?" Levi insisted. Erwin sighed and Levi was able to picture the shrug he'd be doing right about now. 

"We'd assign him someone else to train him. Not that there would be anyone remotely as good." 

"So if I wanted out?" Levi asked.

"What happened?" Erwin asked again. Levi groaned into his receiver and appreciated the time Erwin gave him to respond, despite the late hour. 

"I kissed him." Levi breathed out and Erwin was quiet for a long moment, humming softly in response. Levi tensely waited for his superior's response. 

"Is that all?" Erwin finally asked. 

"What do you mean 'is that all'? It's a breach of policy." Levi said. 

"That I understand. Were you drunk? Did anything aside from a kiss occur?" Erwin asked. 

"No. I wasn't drunk and nothing else happened. It was one kiss, and if I'm honest Erwin... I don't think I want it to be the last." Levi admitted with a quiet desperation in his voice, cringing to himself at his own admission. Erwin just sighed, irritating Levi further.

"Levi I know I told you that you should get laid..." Erwin laughed and Levi cursed him for his inappropriate sense of humour.

"I'm glad you're finding this funny. That kid could go to jail, and I could lose my job. Nowhere's gonna hire a military ex con like me, not unless I want to be a fucking farmer." Levi rambled, trying to get some of his frustrations off his chest. 

"Levi?" Erwin said after a moment of Levi's venting. By now he'd kicked his flip flops off and was brushing his toes through the long grass. It needed cutting. Levi just responded with a tired 'what'. "Is this a one-sided thing?" 

Levi paused to think about it even if he didn't really need to. He was simply stalling the inevitable. May as well get everything out in one go. "Eren did kiss me first." 

"Interesting. Say, Levi. Have you noticed anything about Eren's training these last couple of weeks?" 

"What?" Levi was caught off guard once again this evening. 

"Just saying, I have made certain observations throughout his training," Erwin started slowly before saying quite plainly; "it's obvious he is infatuated with you." 

"Thanks for the news flash, tell me something I don't know." 

"How long have you known of Eren's feelings toward you?" Erwin asked cooly. 

"Uh, probably since I picked him up in holding. Kirstein was giving him shit for like, moaning my name while he was jacking off."

"In a holding cell?" Erwin laughed out and Levi almost joined his laughter, huffing in amused frustration instead. 

"Yeah." 

"And when did you realise you held the same feelings toward him?" Erwin asked gently. Levi understood it was in his nature to grasp as much about a situation as he could before making a decision, so he thought about the question for a while, thinking back to every possible interaction he'd had with the boy. "It must have been before you volunteered to supervise him." Erwin offered. 

Levi shrugged, despite it not being visible. "Fuck I don't know exactly. I felt sorry for him to begin with, then I.. shit I don't know."

"That's fine." Erwin said softly, helping to ease Levi's nerves. 

"What about any other cadets, have you ever had any feelings toward any of them? Or they to you?" 

"You know I haven't." 

"What about Petra?" 

"What _about_ Petra?" Levi shot back. "She's got her own interests and trust me it's not what's between my thighs." Levi said coarsely, huffing in amusement. Erwin just hummed, Levi could tell he was smiling though. Erwin has a diverse vocabulary of various manly hums and grunts, each meaning different things. The ones he'd been giving Levi over this phone call had primarily been of intrigue. Hums he'd usually reserve for when he was scheming or strategising. 

"You're thinking of something, spill it eyebrows." Levi said, feeling significantly more relaxed but still apprehensive of Erwin's decision. He felt relieved the most at the prospect of Eren not having to be surrendered to the MP's if he himself were unable to fulfil his professional duties. 

"Alright." Erwin said. "I want you to keep this to yourself, if you don't mind." Levi nodded and hummed in agreement. Erwin took this noise as his cue to continue. "I obviously cannot condone your conduct with your subordinate, but I also feel this would be beneficial to the both of you."

"The fuck are you talking about? Are you still going on about me getting laid, because I seriously don't want to put Eren through-" 

"No no, Levi." Erwin cut him off. "I don't mean that. I mean, you like him, he likes you. Provided no one discovers your little arrangement you can do as you like provided it doesn't cloud your judgement." Levi furrowed his brows and glared at nothing in particular in the dark garden. 

"What..." Levi whispered. 

"I'm not saying propose to him straight away, but if you want to pursue something with the young man I won't stop you, provided you keep it to your days off and strictly off the radar. I understand you have a very firm grip on your own emotions, it's just Eren I would worry about. He already failed decision making." Erwin said, voice firm. Levi just sat there, lips parted in shock as he listened to his commanding officer disobey every rule he'd ever read and ingrained into his mind. 

"You are his supervisor, Levi. You have been tasked with growing and supporting his development both physically and mentally and emotionally." 

"I don't think this is what we had in mind when we all agreed with the MP's to this." 

Erwin paid his protests no mind, but Levi was smart enough to realise Erwin was only giving him part of a plan he had baked up in his brilliant mind. "You also don't need to do anything else. You can leave it at one kiss and that is that." Erwin said. "As long as I don't know about it, we can write this occasion off as an effect of alcohol, nothing more. Levi squinted as Erwin spoke, accentuating certain un-truths, as if he were making them truths. 

"I appreciate you coming straight to me with this information Levi, I understand it can be difficult. I will make necessary arrangements to ensure you are given ample space for whichever choice you make." Erwin finished, borderline cryptic. Levi thanked him suspiciously for his time and the pair parted ways, hanging up. Levi sat in the garden for a good fifteen minutes after the phone call until Kenny poked his head outside and called after him. 

"Gonna stay out there all night?" 

"No," Levi mumbled with a tired sigh. "I suppose not."


	17. Planning

Levi got up off his bench he'd been sat on in the garden and brushed himself off, slipping his feet into his flip flops and returning inside. He asked Kenny where Eren was and he said he hadn't moved from upstairs. He wished Kenny a good night and headed up the narrow carpeted staircase to find Eren messaging Mikasa and chatting away jovially in another language, holding his huge parrot toy close. The second thing Levi noticed was how Eren had put up the lantern, giving the bed half of the loft a lovely orange glow. Mikasa waved a hello and Levi briefly greeted her before he tapped Eren's shoulder, informing him it was late. His way of asking him for a moment to talk.

Eren bid his farewells to Mikasa, who seemed happier each time Eren called, turning to find Levi drawing the thick velvet curtains in the amber lighting. Eren slowly stood and made his way to the leather chair beside the heater and Levi slowly moved across the room to sit tentatively on the sofa.

"So, uh..." Eren started awkwardly, looking around at anything aside from Levi who was looking straight at him. 

"You do realise that no one can know about this." Levi said, watching Eren as he pried his eyes away from the coffee table and met his gaze, green locking onto blue.

"The kiss?" Eren asked. Levi shook his head, holding his eye contact firmly.

"I mean this." Levi waggled a finger between the two of them, gesturing the both of them. Eren looked ever so slightly confused, so, frustrated, Levi elaborated as bluntly delicate as his temper would allow. 

"We both clearly feel something for the other that is beyond platonic." Eren's eyes widened fractionally and he very slowly nodded in agreement, as if taking in the information as a confession for the first time. 

"So you... really?" Eren asked, almost stuttering.

"I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't." Levi deadpanned, causing Eren's cheeks to burn bright with his embarrassment. 

"So what do we do now?" Eren asked slowly. Levi pressed his lips into a thin line as he thought over what Erwin had told him. He didn't have a clue if he was honest. He shrugged. 

"Maybe get some sleep?" Levi offered, which Eren seemed pleased enough with. Levi didn't feel like picking this apart right now. He needed time to think. 

They went about their respective ways as they got ready for bed, carefully minding their own business, getting cleaned off, changed, and into their beds and onto their sofas. Morning came too soon and Eren actually awoke before Levi to relieve himself and what he spotted would forever be banked in his memory, for lifetimes to come. Levi was lying on his side, half under his thin sheet with one hairy leg poking out and the other tangled up in the fabric. His right arm was flung above his head and his left was curled loosely around the small stuffed parrot he'd been given by Eren. The best part was that the parrot toy was wedged up against his face, his mouth hung open ever so slightly as he breathed deeply and quietly. 

Startled from his observations by a quiet shuffle of Levi's arms and a soft hum from the older man in his sleep, Eren got up and went back to sleep for another half hour or so, until he was being woken up by Levi getting up. Eren had spent most of his time since last night's short chat running over what Levi could have meant when he said what he did. Eren's face must have been scrunched up at the dining table at breakfast, because Levi asked him if he needed a shit. 

"No no, bowels are all good." Eren blurted out, kicking himself for doing it again. "Sorry." Eren said, turning to check where Kenny was, satisfied he was still in the kitchen, and he leant over to Levi. "Sorry, you make me nervous." 

Levi just shrugged and smiled at him strangely, unexpectedly. 

"Are you ready?" Levi asked Eren, pointing a fork at him. 

"For what?" 

"Non stop food, all day." 

"I guess?" Eren said before remembering all of Kenny's cooking efforts. "Oh shit, happy birthday Levi." Eren said, smiling brightly. Levi smiled in return and returned to his breakfast. He dropped his voice low and informed Eren that if he needed to talk to him or ask him any questions, he'd be more than happy to answer anything. It was important that Eren understood that he didn't need to shoulder any burdens by himself and that asking for understanding or clarity was never a bad practice, especially if he wanted to join the Scouting Regiment. Levi made this fact abundantly clear over breakfast and Eren greedily nodded, taking in any and all advice he was given.

"Let's go for a run today?" Eren asked when they got up to clean their dishes. Levi gladly agreed and Eren insisted he bring a stopwatch. "Are there any good mile stretches around here?" Eren asked as they left the barber's after Kenny insisted on giving the birthday boy a birthday haircut. Eren did not escape Kenny's scissors either. 

"Yeah if we jog up the hill there's a road leading out to Rose district. It's got more than enough space. We'll jog out to the mile mark and run back timed." Levi explained as they walked through the streets with their trainers and shorts. Eren had branched out and worn a short sleeved shirt, since Levi had convinced him no one cared about his scars and he'd be cooler for the run. 

They did exactly as Levi instructed and Eren finished on ten minutes, three seconds.

"That's a personal best. Great job." Levi said to Eren, patting his shoulder as the younger guzzled at his water, stopping only to grin from ear to ear. They returned to the house and Levi went out to the garden to be doted on by Kenny who kept bringing him fruit and tea. Levi just accepted everything ,even if he didn't eat everything. Any time he tried to come inside his uncle stopped him because Eren was busy in the kitchen mixing up a liquid heart attack with the amount of sugar he was putting together.

He poured the mixture into a pan and slid it into the oven, allowing it to bubble away as he gently stirred a melting bowl of dark chocolate. Kenny kept an eye on both his nephew in the garden as well as occasionally popping downstairs to check for customers. They came irregularly, but fortunately he had a bell linked up to his floor of the house so people could alert him as soon as they arrived. 

"Alright I think I'm done." Eren said with his messy plate of chocolate covered cinder toffee now sitting comfortably in the fridge to set. Kenny didn't get much of a look at it before it went in, so opted to leave it as a surprise for dessert after his extravagant dinner which lasted for what felt like hours. Eren leant back in his chair and just groaned and Levi had put his feet up beside him, half asleep in his chair and covered with crumbs. Kenny just smiled fondly and moved to the fridge, getting both men's attentions. 

"Now now, gentlemen. For the grande finale." Kenny announced spectacularly. Eren grinned, but secretly felt a little anxious, hoping Levi would enjoy his dessert. "Eren's... whatever they are's." Kenny placed the plate of yellow and brown objects in front of Levi and he sat upright to look at them, curiously picking one up. 

"What is it?" 

"Just eat it. Eren made them specially for you." Kenny said. Levi shot Eren a glance and grinned before popping the sugary treat into his mouth. In a tense moment of anticipation, Eren sat with tense butt cheeks as he awaited the verdict, which came in the form of a low moan coming out of Levi's mouth. Eren sighed in relief and Kenny helped himself to one, revelling in their delightfulness. 

"What is it?" Levi asked again, taking another one and biting into it to get a look at it's airy yellow centre. 

"They call it 'honeycomb' or 'cinder toffee' in Karanese," Eren explained, verbalising the foreign word for the two men who were eating it. "I guess it translates to dry toffee." Eren said with a shrug. "Since you bake it." 

The only responses he got were more groans of pleasure as the two had a few more each before being too full to carry on. Eren assured them it had a long enough shelf life, so they could keep it in the fridge until they'd eaten it, and that's exactly what Levi would do, except he did hide a fair amount of it to take back to the military compound with him in a plastic container.

"Thanks guys, this was fun." Levi said, getting comfortable on the sofa in his loft once everyone had gone upstairs to get comfortable around Levi's heater without the distraction of the television. They spent the rest of the evening just talking, which was nice and soothing for Eren. He soon found himself growing tired as the two older men continued to talk. 

"Anything for my favourite nephew, good night." Kenny said as he made his leave for the night. Eren had rolled onto his back and flung his legs over the edge of Levi's ridiculously comfortable sofa and Levi had noticed his breathing had evened out and deepened, indicating he was as good as asleep. Very quietly, Levi moved an arm so that he could gently sweep the hair from Eren's face, staring down at the teenager fondly. Kicking himself for what he was about to do, Levi brushed his concerns aside for the short moment it took him to have the confidence to slowly, gently run his fingers through Eren's soft brown hair. 

Despite yesterday's lapse in his usual lack of romantic confidence, Levi doubted he'd ever be able to do something like this so freely when Eren was awake. He played a tough game when he was working but with matters relating to the heart Levi was a very unconfident man. He felt awkward and out of place when he didn't have his crossbow and he feared rejection above all else, like any man would. He was strong, but he was also human, and each human has unsealed holes and insecurities. Past hurts.

Levi tilted his posture slightly, crossing a leg over toward the sleeping teenager and Levi frowned to himself as he ran his fingers through Eren's hair. 'What the fuck are you doing? He's nine years younger than you.' Levi's mind would tell him he was an idiot, but the rest of him couldn't believe the words when Eren looked so peaceful beside him. Seeing him so content and relaxed instead of how he'd seen him when he found him in the jungle was proof in itself that his supervision was helping Eren in at least one way. 

Levi dared for a moment to pause the hair stroking so that he may lean down to place a kiss on Eren's forehead. He leant down and pressed his lips against Eren's warm skin and smiled softly, although it was in that moment that Eren awoke, the pair of them making eye contact for a moment brief enough to send Levi sitting bolt upright, eyes widened slightly in shock before he reigned himself back in, feeling foolish for expressing such sentiments. Eren just smiled stupidly at him and rolled over, nudging the now rigid Levi sat upright beside him. 

"I was uh, you had a, something on your..." 

"...and you had to remove it with your mouth?" Eren teased, voice still a little groggy from sleep. Levi remained in the same position, Eren grinning as he watched his face turn bright red. "You're blushing!" Eren exclaimed, hurrying to sit up onto his calves. Levi shot him a look that looked absolutely scandalised before plastering on his best menacing glare, frowning away from Eren. Having his green eyes on him just made him feel hotter than it already was. 

"Fuck you." Levi said with a huff, crossing his arms. Eren melted sympathetically and gently rubbed Levi's arm, scooting closer to try to get him to relax. 

"I'm sorry Levi, I really am you just looked so..." Eren blinked and stopped himself from finishing the sentence, having forgotten who he was speaking to due to the ease in which he felt within Levi's company. Levi dared to look at him through his pink tinged cheeks, perking an eyebrow when it looked like Eren was about to implode. 

"What is it?"

"Oh! Nothing.. heh. Just me being.. silly, is all." Eren said with only the slightest of falters in his speech, bravely maintaining eye contact which Levi dared not break. The air between the two of them suddenly felt thicker and hotter than it had all weekend and for what felt like an eternity they just stared each other in the eye, too nervous to make a move, hearts racing and palms growing sweaty. 

Eren's attention was only distracted upon seeing Levi's tongue dart out to lick his lips. Eren subconsciously did the same as he returned his gaze upward, finding Levi watching his own lips. The only thing both of them could hear was the sounds of their own breaths increasing rapidly. Sensing that Levi was holding back, Eren leant forward ever so slightly, testing the waters to see if he would pull away or push him back. When he didn't, he pressed forward again. 

Eren wasn't entirely sure who initiated the kiss, but both men lurched forward at the exact same time, mashing their lips together in a mess of saliva, misplaced tongues and clashing teeth, both completely unsure in their approach. Breaths came out as hitches and soft gasps and Eren shuffled closer, throwing a leg confidently over Levi's lap as he kept their lips locked. Eren was by no means experienced, so he opted to allow Levi to lead the kiss, who, after the initial heat had subsided and they had calmed their desperation, tilted his head ever so slightly. Eren found the subtle movement allowed their mouths to slot together with greater ease as the kiss deepened. 

Levi's hands slipped around Eren's waist in response to him straddling his legs, holding him close as he allowed Eren to tower over him, devouring him whole as they switched up who dominated the kiss. Realising he had absolutely no idea when or where these feelings had birthed within him, Levi felt himself relax completely to the idea of them being there. Being here, under Eren's soft touches to the side of his face and to the back of his neck as he tenderly brushed his tongue against his own, just felt right, dare he admit it to himself. 

Eventually the couple parted long enough for a quick breath before diving back in, Eren's usual enthusiasm shining through but slowly slowing, their kisses turning into more drawn out, sensual closed mouth kisses. Levi couldn't help but feel how amazingly warm Eren's lips were, where as Levi's cooler skin had come as a slight surprise to Eren. Levi kept his hands clearly over the tops of Eren's clothes and made absolutely no move toward gesturing for anything further. The idea of anything more sexual than this frightened him, sending his heart rate through the roof as the arousal pooled in his groin regardless of his intentions.

Eren too made no attempt to move his hands or gain any other friction upon Levi's lap, despite how much he felt he needed it. He was too scared to dare for more and very content to wait and not rush into anything either of them could regret. This was enough. 

The pair separated, gasping for breath and foreheads pressed against one another, revelling in the sensation of hands in hair and around waists and hot breaths on their still tingling lips, which now, were marvellously dark pink from the friction. Levi simply moved his hands upward to rest them on the sides of Eren's head, stroking his cheeks with his thumbs affectionately. 

"Still uncertain about how I feel about you?" Levi breathed out. Eren let out a short laugh and a hum of agreement, hiding his embarrassment along with his face into the crook of Levi's neck, posture slumping over slightly as Levi wrapped his arms around his charge, rubbing his back softly. 

"I'm sorry... it um. It will go down in a minute." Eren mumbled out and Levi grinned slightly.

"Mine too, sorry." Levi whispered, only making Eren blush further. 

"I don't know where that came from." Eren mumbled and Levi just hummed in agreement, still thinking back to how Eren's lips felt against his own mixed with the uncertain dread of doing something wrong. The pair sighed contently as they could and Eren pulled away to smile at Levi when suddenly Levi's phone went off in his pocket beside Eren's leg. Startled, Eren tried to get off but Levi gestured for him to remain where he was as he dug out his phone and answered it, keeping one hand on Eren's leg, rubbing soothing circles into the fabric of his shorts. 

"Levi speaking. Mmhm." Levi started and Eren just smiled at him, unable to make out most of the conversation from Levi's phone. He must have had the volume down quite low. 

"Alright, no problem," he said, hanging up. He allowed Eren to get up and Eren was unable to shake the goofy smile from his face as the pair got up and got ready for sleep. 

"We've gotta get to bed soon. We've got orders for tomorrow." 

"Oh, so we're going back early?" Eren asked, seeming slightly saddened but only for a very short moment. Levi nodded. "What time are we due back?" 

"Briefing is at ten, so we can still have a bit of a lie in. We'll leave at nine. I'll let your dad know we couldn't make it tomorrow but we'll see him when we get back." 

"Alright, what are we gonna be doing?" 

"Going on a mission." Levi said with a smirk. Eren visibly gulped. 

When Eren left to brush his teeth, Levi sat down on his sofa and didn't move. He was meant to be convincing himself that what he was about to do was an awful idea, supposed to be reminding himself of the fierce repercussions that it would hold within the military and all the swirling what if's that could happen, but he couldn't bring himself to think or worry about any of it. He knew it all already, there was no sense in focusing on it. At least not for this one moment in time. He could worry later, but for now he just sat there, a couple of fingers pressed to his lips as he smiled. 

Eren let himself back in and into bed, whereas Levi shuffled into a lying position on the couch. A brief set of 'good night's' were exchanged and the pair went to sleep. 

Once up and ready to go and farewells were given, along with hugs from Kenny to the both of them, Levi threw Eren the keys to the truck and he all but bounced his way into the driver's seat. Levi directed him to the complex and he only stalled once where he hesitated with a little old lady crossing the street. Levi led Eren through the complex and into the now extremely familiar courtyard linking the main gates to the command centre, where Eren had first met Erwin. They made a very quick trip up to their on-site room, left their bags there and briskly walked down the corridors through the building and into a small, dark meeting room. It was already fairly full, Levi and Eren making up the final attendees. 

Erwin gave Levi a nod and he left to stand by his commander's side whereas Eren's eyes lit up as soon as he saw Armin had saved him a seat, smiling brightly and hurrying around the table to sit beside him.

"Good morning all. Thank you for coming on such short notice," Erwin started. The man had his black shirt on with a tie, no jacket and his usual formal attire. Eren was sat in a small group of chairs amongst the other members of his training unit. It was a small group, so all of them managed to fit into one of the complex's smaller meeting rooms within the officer's wing. The room itself was the same decor as the rest of the officer building, dark green paint and wood panels and surrounded by framed images of local area maps and satellite images. 

"Please hand these out." Erwin gave Connie a pile of crisp white envelopes, to which he took one and passed it on, the group passing them around and looking curiously at the contents as the Commander continued speaking. 

"We have had a Special Operations team recently dispatched to investigate and pursue a small enemy compound roughly forty miles northeast from here. We received some preliminary information about the encampment before communications were lost two days ago." What Erwin didn't tell them was they would be using a closed off Titan-abandoned portion of the rainforest closest to the military base for this exercise. The area was as safe as the jungle would get, but the fences were only designed to deter humans, not animals. Nor were they electrified or impenetrable. 

Eren opened his own envelope and found various sheets of map plans, satellite images, pictures of various weapons and a sheet of credentials. He opted to focus more on the Commander's words rather than the sheets. He was sure Erwin would cover the paperwork or have them do it themselves shortly. He'd likely only speak once. 

"We haven't heard from them, so the only assumption we can make is that they were either discovered or captured. Unfortunately the encampment is so far beneath the trees, our satellite imagery does us no good." 

"The small base is armed with only heavy weaponry, no artillery or air transport and from what information we do have suggests they only travel by boat or on foot." Erwin explained. "What other Intel we have also suggests that although their weaponry is limited, although they have a lot of manpower and are well nestled into the undergrowth, making their detection difficult to pinpoint." 

"The objective of this mission is to destroy the base, capture personelle and any information you can gather as well as return the missing soldiers, preferably alive. Your objective as a unit is to practice strategic planning and communications. I want you to plan and execute this mission completely by yourselves. Come to me tomorrow morning with an elected leader and we will proceed from there. If you need emergency assistance, Captain Levi will be shadowing the exercise." Erwin said as he cast an acknowledging look toward the Captain. 

"He will not offer any other assistance with planning or advice, nor will he get involved with execution. This is down to you to organise and complete in full. This room is now your base of operations and you can use this space for planning and briefings. I wish you luck." 

With that note, Erwin excused himself and took Levi with him, taking him a few paces down the hall to a quiet area. Levi looked up at him with a stern expression, unsure of what to expect. 

"This will also be a good training exercise for yourself, Levi." Erwin looked down at the shorter man, a serious expression on his face. "Did anything else happen?" Erwin asked, as if he knew. Levi cringed under the scrutiny, unable to keep his embarrassment from his face. Erwin relaxed his shoulders and sighed, but said nothing for a long moment. When Levi didn't give him an (unnecessary) verbal confirmation he just patted him on the shoulder. "Be careful, whatever you do. Remember what I told you." Levi just nodded once before returning to the meeting room where the cadets were still all reading over their materials, a bubble of excitement in the air. 

"Listen up!" Levi called over their voices. Everyone instantly settled aside from a lingering rustle of paperwork. "This will be a _live rounds_ practice. If you fuck up, people die, got it?" 

"Yes sir!" the group yelled in unison, the excitement suddenly sobering drastically. 

"Having human blood on your hands is one thing, but trust me when I say this. You do **not** want to be responsible for the death of an ally. Understand?" Levi said, almost with a trace of cold regret to his voice that Eren hadn't heard before. It was in that moment, with Levi's glazed expression as he spoke, did Eren realise what had hurt him, whenever it happened. He must have had close comrades die in combat from his orders. It would explain a lot, he thought. Given Levi's position as second in charge combined with the regiment's publicly known death rates, he'd probably seen many comrades fall.

As much as he wanted to ponder about Levi's past, Eren respected the fact that Levi never asked him for details of his own past, so decided to focus on the job he had right in front of them. The task in which Armin was currently owning on everyone's behalf, rapidly taking notes and interrogating his team members for answers to a barrage of questions. He collected all angles of information they may need for the mission including who could drive, who was their sharpest shooter, who possessed certain skills for certain tasks and Eren felt like the list was endless. Everyone patiently awaited Armin to collect his dataset and everyone took a quick bathroom and tea break after about four hours of solid planning and strategising so that Armin could think in peace as he ironed out the final details of his idea. 

"Hey Armin, want something to drink?" Eren asked. Armin looked up at him and smiled with a nod. 

"Oh, sure thing Eren. Just a peppermint tea please." 

"You got it, pal." Eren said, leaving the blond to work. Once everyone was back in the room and Armin had collated his information, he sat upright and smiled tiredly at everyone.

"Alright guys. Here's the plan. First thing's first we're gonna need a leader. I would suggest either Eren or Jean." Armin said cooly, earning the two mentioned men a look from everyone else in the room. The pair looked at each other as if to see who would volunteer first. If either.

"I don't see why it should have to be me." Jean said, clearly nervous about the exercise. Eren didn't feel completely confident leading their group either. He was the rookie, after all. The new guy, with the least experience. Eren calmly voiced his concerns and Armin hummed and nodded. 

"Jean, will you do it? You're the best aim out of the lot of us and you're probably the most physically fit, too. We'll need your strength as a leader." Armin said calmly. Jean just scrunched his face in displeasure before grunting out a 'fine'. 

"That's as good a response as any. So we've got our Squad Leader. He'll be responsible for the likes of formations and pace of the mission, but I'm sure I can advise on a tactical level. In-field orders will come from Jean. Next up we'll need sharp shooters. I would like to suggest Connie and Sasha for that. Heavy arms will be Ymir without a doubt." Armin continued. Sasha and Connie fist-bumped each other and Ymir just grinned, pulling Christa up against her side. 

"Christa will serve as support as well as medical with Marco and Ymir when she's not needed for blasting doors or taking out potential vehicles and Jean will work alongside our sharp shooters. Is that clear so far?" Armin asked, ensuring he had clarity every step of the way. Everyone who didn't nod gave a verbal response. 

"Great. I will also be support, but I'll take care of everything comms related and keep us online. That leaves Eren." The team nodded and looked at Armin as he then spoke to Eren.

"You know the jungle better than any of us. You'll be our eyes and ears. We'll need you scouting." Armin said, looking him in the eye. Eren nodded firmly as if to convey his agreement and commitment to his new role. Armin understood just from the look of focused determination in Eren's eyes. "You'll be responsible for finding us somewhere to camp, to find fresh water and to perform the initial rec of the complex. I also want your consultation on choosing equipment based on the terrain. Tomorrow I want you to speak about what its like, so we can be prepared as much as possible." 

"Got it." Eren said, making mental notes. Armin continued to go through the rest of the plans he had put together in the short time since being given all of the documentation and Levi had to admit he was impressed. What would ordinarily take a team of officers in the same amount of time, the blond kid had done it by himself, in less time. The teenager laid out extremely clear plans for everyone to follow, down to the routes they would take, and Levi was pleased to see he frequently asked for input from his team to see if they could improve the plans. He offered a skeleton, and engaged the team to put a little meat on the bones. 

Their plan was foolproof on paper, they'd just have to see how well it would pan out in reality. 

Once dismissed for the day, the squad went about their training as from about three in the afternoon, after a late lunch due to the planning. Each team member was given a specific list of things they needed to research or train up on before they departed the following day. That would give them time to source the vehicles, ammunition and supplies they would need for the trip and time to brief everyone fully. Eren was currently in the officers library, skimming through slides on a computer to see if he could find any examples of poisonous animals. Armin had joined him and the pair quietly and comfortably helped each other to put together a presentation.

Armin would ask if Eren wanted text to go with the images, but he said he was much more comfortable just talking about them. Armin nodded and allowed it, since it would be Eren presenting and not himself. Levi had spent the afternoon quietly following Eren around, since Erwin had insisted he observe as much of the planning process as he could. He was effectively killing two birds with one stone by supervising his new recruit at the same time. Eren seemed engrossed by the project all day, so hardly even noticed Levi's presence, which was fine by Levi. He would excuse himself for short moments to get cups of tea for himself and resume his shadowing exercise from afar. 

When night fell, Eren found his way back to their room and Levi followed him in, both men heading up the spiral staircase to prepare for sleep. 

"Do you feel ready to go back?" Levi asked. Eren shrugged noncommittally. "What?" Levi asked. 

"I don't know, I guess it just feels weird. Right, but weird. I always thought that this was my home, not the jungle." Eren said, tone melancholic. 

"Home is where you make it." Levi said with a shrug, pulling off his shirt and dropping it into a wash basket beside the staircase. Eren smirked at him. "What now?" 

"That was awfully deep for you." Eren said. 

"Fuck you too." Levi shook his head, the smile on his face giving away his lack of seriousness. Eren just kept grinning a goofy little smile at Levi's remark and Levi groaned, pushing past the teenager to get into the bathroom. 

"So Levi." Eren said, leaning against the bathroom doorframe. Levi mumbled past his toothbrush for him to make himself useful and at least brush his teeth while he waited for the room to become available. Eren slid in beside him and continued chatting, even with a mouthful of foam. 

"So are you gonna be camping with us on this trip?" 

"What do you expect?" Levi said, spitting out his toothpaste, "want me to sleep in the fucking bushes while I supervise you?" he said with a huff, filling his palm with water to rinse his mouth with. Eren just shrugged a little despite not having the Captain's full (visual) attention. 

"Oh, just saying, is all. If you need a tent, you can always share with me." Eren said with a shrug and a mischievous glint in his eye. 

"Nice try Eren, I'll have a hammock for this one." Levi said, patting Eren on the shoulder as he moved back to the other side of the sink to towel the water from his chin, leaving the room. Eren just smiled to himself at the lack of honest rejection and went about his evening routine. By the time he'd finished showering, Levi had already switched his bedside lamp off and rolled away from Eren's light to start getting to sleep. 

What Eren found particularly endearing was the fact that on the windowsill between their two beds, sat a small, stuffed parrot toy.


	18. Execution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not exactly happy with this chapter. ...It was a struggle to write and a bore to read. Fear not the real action will return in the next chapter! (We're talking bodies! Mwuahaha)

"Alright. So this," Eren clicked his laptop space bar presenting the group with a small, brightly coloured frog. "Don't touch this. You'll die." Eren flipped to another slide with another dangerous animal on it. "Don't touch this either. You'll die if it bites you." 

The looks on everyone's faces were a mixture between amusement and bemusement. Sure, they were aware of a lot of the dangers, but having Eren present it in such a deadly serious, deadpan manner was fairly entertaining. Armin attempted to encourage Eren to elaborate a little as to why people would die if they touched these animals, and did actually offer some advice on what to do to avoid these animals and what to do if anyone should be bitten or stung, so at least Eren had that to appreciate. 

"Just as well we didn't make Eren the leader, he'd have us run blindly into something and not even back it up..." Jean mumbled to Ymir, who grinned and nodded. Christa was there to nudge Ymir and get her to pay attention again, scolding her for being rude. Once Eren and Armin were done presenting their potential floral and faunal threats when out on their mission, the team gathered outside and in the loading bays to prepare the jeeps. 

Jean was busy fretting over their maps and plans with Armin, who really ought to have led this mission, Levi thought. He'd be sure to give Armin the feedback afterwards that he makes an exceptional leader, provided he doesn't get himself killed on this training exercise. Levi stood amongst the trainees as they joined up and went over their route one last time before separating into their teams.

"Stop worrying so much Jean." Marco tried to reassure Jean as the group were piling into their loaded jeeps, ready for the training mission. 

"Yeah that's easy for you to say." Jean spat back. Marco just smiled at the bristled young leader and pulled himself into the driver's seat. Eren had joined Armin in another jeep behind Jean's and the other cadets were squashed into the rears of both trucks. Levi was following behind on a military quad bike, keeping to his role of shadowing by remaining as uninvolved as possible. 

The teams drove for about an hour and a half through ragged terrain of the outskirts across the river from the training complex. The sun was set comfortably in the sky, slowly heating things up to scorching summer temperatures. Fortunately they would be under the cover of the trees by the time things got really uncomfortable. Eren smiled to himself as the wind blew through his hair and the jungle crept closer into view. He had only really driven on tarmac roads before now, so had to stay in a low gear to get across a lot of the bumps and grooves of the uneven dirt roads leading into the wilderness. 

"You seem like you're having fun," Armin commented, looking up from his map to observe Eren playing with the gears and driving the team up and down slopes, through shallow rivers and around tight tree-lined corners. Eren just chuckled lightly and nodded, keeping his eyes focused on not crashing the truck. After all, he didn't have much experience driving but he was one of the only cadets with any experience at all thanks to Levi.

"Ugh think you could drive over any more bumps?" Sasha complained from the back, holding her stomach and groaning. Eren just grinned, hitting a rock at that exact moment, causing Sasha to yell at Eren and making the young driver laugh. The trip wasn't longer than ninety minutes, but it felt longer due to the short distance travelled over the long time due to the terrain. Eren found whilst driving he didn't have much time to take in the surroundings as he usually would have, not spotting things when the guys in the back would yell to look at animals or neat looking trees or landscape features. 

He wasn't fussed. He had seen it and heard it all before. 

Jean's truck had led everyone out into a small clearing beside a cliff face which had been marked on their map as their designated camp area. Jean hopped out and started gesturing for certain troops to perform certain tasks. Connie, Sasha and Eren were on scouting duty, ensuring the nearby area was clear of rebels or deadly animals and the rest were to set up camp. Levi dismounted his quad bike and pulled his backpack off, tugging out his hammock and finding himself a spot between one of the trees in their camp. He waited before setting up, seeing how the group would organise their base camp first. He would then set up in accordance to where Jean would like him placed. 

Eren set out in his respective direction to check out the terrain. There was a sheer cliff hiding most of the camp, so they only really had two directions to and from the camp. Eren paused for a moment when he was out of sight of the others and took his earpiece out, looking around, breathing the air and relaxing his shoulders. Sure he had a good understanding of how the forest worked, but he couldn't see himself living in it again. Not long term. Eren didn't spend long breathing the warm air, slipping his earpiece back in and trudging through the thick forest. 

The trees and undergrowth wasn't nearly as well developed as Eren had remembered the forest to be. There were signs of human activity everywhere which made it very difficult for him to gauge whether it was rebel activity or just where the military had used it for training missions since the area was more or less abandoned by titan activity. Such a high military presence will tend to do that. Eren decided not to let the possibility go by, so made mental notes of any disturbed foliage or well trodden walkways. 

Eventually Eren ended up behind the tree line of a large, long grassy opening at the top of a gently inclining hill through the forest. There were a few hares darting out across the grass as well as a small herd of deer in the far distance near the opposite side of the clearing. Eren ducked down and pulled his binoculars out to take a closer look.

Just past the herd of grazing herbivores was a small stone bunker nestled against the tree line. Eren tapped the comms button on his wrist and spoke quietly. "Armin, come in, over." 

"This is Armin, what is your status Eren?" 

"I have spotted contact at..." Eren glanced down at his gps to gather his co-ordinates and sent the bunker's location over to base camp. Levi quietly watched as Armin took the information and worked alongside Jean to plot it on a map, along with any information Connie or Sasha radio'd in with, mapping out their surroundings. 

"Thanks Eren, don't get too close, yeah? Just a perimeter check for now." Jean radio'd to Eren. 

"Roger that. Resuming perimeter check, over." Eren said, keeping low and getting on with the task at hand, not wanting to hinder their progress and assuming that this would probably be evaluated and graded toward their final exam. Coursework, of sorts. It wouldn't surprise Eren if this were actually a test in itself. He could see the various categories everyone would be tested in, and they had a chief examiner with them. They could have sent Shadis to supervise, but they didn't. They sent Levi. 

Eren followed the opening around it's edge until he met the side of the hill where he headed back down, walking around until he ended up back at the camp with no other reports to make. When he arrived back, the camp was a hive of activity, tents neatly set up against the cliff face and all security measures installed on the outskirts, including various alarm systems and early warning triggers. Levi had equipped himself with his grappling gear and had positioned himself on a low tree branch beside the command tent. He was lying back against it, hooks keeping him in place with his cap against his face and his arms folded neatly on his chest as he seemingly napped. 

Eren marched over to the command tent and reported nothing of interest to Jean and Armin, who proceeded to ask him to oversee the meals for the evening. Everything else for the remainder of the day went smoothly. The plan was for most scouting operations to take place during the day, since the jungle would be much more dangerous at night, most of it's deadliest inhabitants being nocturnal. 

"Alright, we all move out in fifteen minutes!" Jean called out over everyone's rustling around the small camp. 

"Yes, Sir!" His team responded in turn. Levi slowly got up and took a few sips from his water as he sat on his branch, waiting for the trainees to proceed with their mission. He had his crossbow strapped across his back and the rest of the trainees were also packing something mean. Everyone aside from Levi had an automatic rifle and a pistol, the only exception being Ymir who had a separate rucksack with a grenade launcher nestled within it. 

Given the terrain they weren't expecting any aircraft, as the rebels didn't usually use them, so they had come equipped for vehicles and buildings. 

Equipped and ready to go, the team moved out and headed up the small hill to the location Eren had pinpointed earlier. The team paused to check over the target with their binoculars and Jean spent a long moment looking through his to evaluate what is was he was looking at. Inside the bunker across the clearing were two figures, moving in very uniform movements. They were wooden models dressed in black bandanas. Jean hummed as he realised what they were up against now. 

"Alright. We got two confirmed targets inside, unknown firepower. We'll move closer to get a better look. Eren I want you to head around south when we get half way there and see if you can scan the area to the sides and behind the bunker while the rest of us handle it's contents. Marco, Sasha and Ymir will double around the north side and we'll advance from two sides." Jean said, Eren nodding as they all moved out again, keeping far enough in the tree line so as to not be spotted. 

The teams split into two and eventually Eren split off on Jean's mark into the wilderness again, glancing over his shoulder, making very brief eye contact with Levi who was following closely behind Jean's group, expression indifferent. Levi gave him a subtle nod and Eren turned to push on through the brush. A few distant gunshots later, Jean radio'd to inform Eren they had cleared the bunker and were now advancing to his location. 

The two teams rendezvoused back at Eren's location and the brunet relayed his findings. At the edge of the clearing there was a poorly hidden entranceway to a well used makeshift road, the plants well driven on and flattened into the mud as the vehicles had ploughed through the landscape. 

"These tyre marks are fresh, like, today kinda fresh." Sasha said, looking them over as the teens emerged from the jungle and onto the narrow road. Jean looked around, checked the time and ordered everyone to follow the road along parallel through the trees. The last thing he wanted was to get caught strolling down the dragon's driveway. They must have trudged through the trees for about an hour before locating their next target, roughly another mile from their current location, downhill along the curve of the nearest mountain. Armin kept his eyes on his GPS, relaying locations and reporting back to HQ every so often with progress updates. 

"Target ahead." Jean announced over the comms. The team split as they approached the encampment and checked all perimeters of the settlement located between a small collection of slightly looser bunched trees. Under closer observation there was a campfire still burning embers in the centre of the camp accompanying a few more wooden dummies standing around. There were three makeshift buildings in the area toward the rear of the camp and Jean and the others presumed one of them to be where the captives were held. Eren kept his senses alert, easily avoiding any distracting eye contact with Levi since the man did a very good job at playing invisible. He'd see him behind them one moment, the next he'd be gone. 

"Split into pairs." Jean said, telling who should pair together and who should position where. Armin paused him to suggest another route and Jean re-thought his plan and nodded, tweaking it slightly and informing the team. They advanced in pairs with rifles raised, close to their chests. Once in position, they simultaneously tossed gas through the open windows of the three structures as the front team took out the standing wooden rebels out in the open. As quickly as they had been dispatched, the three buildings had been breached and cleared within a matter of moments. 

"Clear," came a series of updates into Jean's earpiece and he nodded, allowing himself to relax somewhat knowing the threat had been neutralized. 

"Jean, there's no captives here." Marco's voice sounded over his comms as he approached the three corrugated metal structures. Jean glanced inside all three and frowned, looking around. 

"It's possible that they moved them elsewhere." Eren added, knowing all too well their tactic of recycling and relocating their workforce, never allowing one to grow comfortable or complacent. Armin re-evaluated his maps and GPS and spoke with Jean in a hushed tone. Jean grunted, nodded and scowled. 

"Alright, search this place top to bottom. I don't want a single stone left unturned." Jean ordered, the group springing into action and checking all pockets on the wooden dummies, every tent and every makeshift hut. Ymir approached Armin with what looked like a radio system and he crouched down to assess it, checking for messages. Meanwhile, Eren, Christa and Sasha checked the buildings at the rear for signs of the captured soldiers. 

"Jean we got something!" Eren called from across the camp. Jean jogged over lightly to see what Eren and the others had found. They had located a trunk containing what would have been the missing soldier's standard issue weaponry and belt bags containing their personal belongings. Under closer inspection, they confirmed the identities found in these military ID cards to match that of the missing personelle on their file they had been provided with at mission briefing. 

"It's a match. They were here." Jean said, instructing Marco to spread the weight around between everyone's rucksacks (aside from Ymir's) and take the equipment back with them. He wouldn't risk leaving weapons out in the open for (wooden) rebels to potentially recover overnight. Connie in the meantime followed the road that had led them here and noted that it led further beyond the camp they were currently positioned in. Connie called Jean and the others to evaluate the area and Jean decided to return to the camp, clearing the roads as they went. 

The following morning the team would utilise the two trucks in staggered positions. A small team set out at dawn to clear the road leading up to yesterday's cleared titan encampment whereas the other teams would slowly move in closer in the vehicles. The plan was to set up a secondary base using the cleared base. The team worked well to get the perimeter secured and plans begun afresh to locate the new camp. 

Eren had shared what information he knew about Titan activity and suggested that the captives had probably been taken somewhere uphill. The Titans liked to stay high. Any camp he'd been in was days into the mountains. He felt himself feel somewhat heavy as he explained there could be a possibility they would have to hike for miles and miles up and down mountains, but he kept that feeling to himself. There was no time for complaining when (metaphorical) lives were at risk. 

Once it had been established the best direction in which to proceed, (thanks to Armin deciphering a few calls between camps including some co-ordinates,) the team set up for their hike. Eren was very close with his prediction and the co-ordinates led them three days north into the mountains. They didn't encounter any rebel activity but fortunately the rebel's fashioned road allowed them vehicle access all of the way there. Once they had the new target base within their sights, the team begun a thirty-two hour stake-out to evaluate the camp's patterns before they struck. 

The camp consisted of multiple moving models all dressed as Titans with baggy shirts and bandanas and were rigged to moving platforms all around various parts of the camp to mimic patrol patterns. Patterns which were quickly documented and evaluated by the team's blond strategist. The camp held mainly large tents and a few makeshift bulwarks crafted from logs and other pieces of debris, sheet metal and tarpaulins, providing plenty of places for cover on their way in. The team had observed that there was an open tent with a group of three soldiers, stripped to their underwear and vests and chained to the ground by chains fastened around their necks. The sight made Eren sick. 

"Eren. You alright there buddy?" Connie asked quietly as they prepared to advance, waiting for the order. Eren had been glowering and gritting his teeth and muttering something about killing every last one of them. Needless to say Connie had grown a little concerned. 

"Just fine." Eren managed to grunt out through clenched teeth. "I just can't wait for this to be real. To be killing actual Titans instead of wooden dummies." 

"Totally feel you there, bro. C'mon, let's go." Connie said, having just received the prompt for his side-team to advance. They repeated a similar technique to before, only now they were much more cautious of where they were shooting, choosing single shots and bursts over automatic. They wanted this to be short and sweet and not make too much noise. The plan was to be in and out within ten minutes. 

Levi hooked himself up into a tree which overlooked the entire camp, allowing him a good view of how each small team would dart around corners and quickly dispose of the sheltered titans while the visible ones were distracted by the front advance. He didn't mind supervising training missions, they simply grew tiresome as the teens would take it deathly seriously despite there being no real threat. It would be somewhat more enriching for everyone taking part (or observing for that matter,) if their perimeter checks actually wielded armed guards. 

He could wait for the cadet's test run using blanks and real people. It was coming, after all. 

Yawning and resuming watch, Levi watched as the group, as planned, executed their retrieval of their three captives and returned them to their jeeps as a few stayed behind to collect intel. Hange, Luke and Dita all waved at Levi and he nodded to the trio as they were guided past his tree. All in all, the mission went smoothly and Levi soon found himself hopping off from his quad bike and stretching as the group all packed their first camp at the cliff face into the jeeps. All they had to do now was drive back to the main compound for debriefing, so Levi removed himself from the camp as they packed up. There wasn't anything to meticulously supervise with the folding of tents. 

He found himself a large, brittle log to sit on in the sunshine and tipped his head back, pulling his hair away from his face and tying it back, pulling out a pair of sunglasses and sitting in the warmth. He had done well to keep Eren this far from the front of his thoughts this soon after kissing him. He felt proud, almost, for being able to keep his eyes off him, from taking in the sight of his tanned skin and soft lips. From spending too much time close to that earthy, musky smell. They used the same soaps but somehow the scent was different on Eren's skin. 

Levi had thought of holding him against him and tasting every inch of him, bit by bit, laving his tongue against the young man's neck and collarbones, kissing away every scar and burn and imperfection. Every single mark of abuse. Levi leant forward and groaned into his hands as he attempted to will the increasingly lustful thoughts from his mind. Eren was his subordinate and no matter what Erwin had slyly told him, going against his principles was both agonising and exciting. 

Part of him desperately wanted to leave the kisses where they were, in the past, on his old leather sofa and on the end of the docks, but the rest of him yearned for more. To feel his skin, taste him, hear his laughter. His senses tingled at the thought of it. Overloaded and screaming for more. More of the tanned cadet from Shiganshina and the wilds of the forest in northern Ragako. 

Levi didn't know the exact details of absolutely everything from Eren's years in imprisonment in the jungle, but he knew enough to be able to make an educated guess that Titans had forced themselves upon him. Levi was unsure whether Eren would ever really be comfortable with him touching him in the ways he desired, so he would keep them to himself for now and let Eren approach him for the physical contact. The voice calling out a small distance away from him didn't startle him as he thought it would, as the smooth, dark voice floated across to his ears who revelled in the melody, willing for it never to end. 

"Are you alright, Sir?" Eren asked, offering the Captain a brief smile, his rucksack strapped to his back and his team mates filing out from the trees and into the trucks. Levi looked up and squinted somewhat in the sunlight as Eren approached carefully. 

"Yeah. I haven't done one of these in a while. I forgot how boring they were." Levi said with a huff, trying to make light of the situation as well as distract him from his earlier thoughts.

"Yeah, you did seem a bit bored earlier but... I suppose it's hard to say." Eren smiled at Levi with the sun behind him, illuminating his cheeks. "You always look bored." 

"I do not." Levi said. 

"Well, at work you do." Eren said as Levi got up to slowly walk back to the jeeps. 

"Can't deny that one." Levi said, fixing his own rucksack to his quad bike and fishing the key from one of his pockets. Eren smiled at him once more and silently gestured goodbye, since he was driving the rear truck. Levi nodded him off and followed behind for the trip back which took just over an hour and a half, since it started to rain heavily about half an hour into their trip. Levi had stopped to fix his poncho over his head and shoulders but still felt soaked by the time he reached camp. He drove up into the vehicle shed and Eren had already parked and had begun helping to unpack. 

Even the trucks and jeeps were open to the elements, so everyone else was also dripping wet. The team de-briefed and agreed to meet again first thing the following morning in their meeting room. Levi excused himself to make a phone call.

"Erwin speaking." 

"It's me." Levi said curtly as he made his way across the compound through the wet sand and dirt. 

"Ah, back so soon? I was expecting them to be gone for at least over two weeks." Erwin said, clearly smiling. 

"Yeah, you got time to debrief today?" Levi asked, his afternoon schedule currently free. It would be nice to get it over and done with as soon as possible, while the mission was still fresh in Levi's mind. He heard Erwin clicking away at a keyboard as well as clicking a few things as he swiped himself into the officer's block.

"I have a meeting in fifteen minutes, I can't move it. Tomorrow?" Erwin asked. 

"The squad want to de-brief tomorrow at seven, so after then?" Levi asked. Erwin hummed in agreement. 

"Sent the invite over now." Erwin said as Levi's phone vibrated once beside his ear indicating he'd received it.

"Great." Levi said before hanging up and checking his emails. Nothing too exciting, most of which weren't anything to do with him, he'd just been copied in out of courtesy so he knew what the hell his squad were doing. It was great knowing his special ops team required zero supervision and were competent to keep their training up when he couldn't be there with them. He did miss them though, with all of their little quirks. They were a handful of personally selected soldiers, capable of executing perfectly synchronised attacks without so much as looking at each other. 

No wonder they were the Scouting regiment's secret weapon. 

He did however feel a little out of the loop since Hange and Mike had started to lead their expeditions without him. He hadn't used his crossbow in the better part of two months and was starting to feel a little bit itchy. He headed his way up to his room through the thin corridors and found Eren wasn't in the office. He could have been upstairs for all he knew but chances are he was out at dinner with his squad. Levi made his way around to his desk and fired his computer up, straightening up a pile of files as he waited. Once he was logged in, he pulled up a phone number and hit call, having a catch up with Kenny. 

Following an hour long conversation, Levi found himself growing tired in his chair. He hadn't really done enough to warrant being tired, but perhaps this last week's mission had done just that - drain him. He had no idea when Eren had let himself in, but he blinked his eyes open and Eren was crouched by his side, nudging him gently. His neck was sore so he must have been there for a while. 

"What time is it?" 

"Almost five. Want to go for a run or something? The rain stopped." Eren said with a smile on his face. Levi turned slightly to look out of the window and indeed, it was dry out again, the early afternoon rain long gone. That was the moment in which Levi had an idea. He nodded and Eren's face lit up, moving over to the door as Levi pulled his jacket on and the pair left the room together, shoulders brushing slightly as they made their way through the narrow corridors. 

Outside, the sun was still a few hours from setting, so they had plenty of time left before it got dark and the bugs started to come to life to eat anything that moved. Levi strolled over to the vehicle shed and found the same quad bike as earlier, instructing Eren to hop on the back. Eren did so, and hung onto the handles behind himself rather than Levi's waist. He wanted to respect the boundaries Levi had put in place when they were out anywhere public. 

Levi drove them across the complex to the short building at the east side, the opposite side to the bridge leading to the city. Eren had been here countless times, to practice at the weapons range and learn about the various types of weaponry at the armoury, but Levi only stopped to sign out a pair of rifles, a few boxes of blanks and a small box of flash bangs. They loaded up and Levi drove them a few minutes down to another building, a large hangar which Eren hadn't yet visited. 

"What is this place?" Eren asked as they entered and he spotted no aircraft, greeting a few soldiers stationed to the side behind a long table of radios and monitors. There were sounds of flash bangs and gunshots rattling within the hangar, as well as a dusty smell in the air from the huge layered boards of plywood propped up in the centre of the hangar floor. 

"It's a practicing range. They'll set up almost any scenario for you here so you can shoot it out." Levi explained, moving to speak to the soldiers at the monitoring station. A loud bell sounded a few times, indicating the end of a 'game' and a trio of armed soldiers ran out from the side of the enclosure. It was Oluo, Petra and Nanaba, the latter two smiling upon seeing Eren and Levi and Oluo simply straightening his posture upon seeing the Captain. 

"You here to teach the brat some real shooting?" Oluo sneered, trying to appear nonchalant. Eren flinched slightly at the nickname, having not expected it. Levi noticed the movement, no matter how subtle it was. Levi's eyes narrowed minutely and he shot a glare at Oluo. 

"Watch your tongue before I remove it." Levi said calmly, patting Eren on the shoulder and pointing at the entranceway to the shooting range. Nanaba and Petra grinned and Nanaba elbowed Oluo as he pulled a face of displeasure, frowning more than should have been humanly possible. 

Levi instructed Eren to enter the training area and told him what to do, as well as his team's personal best of fifteen seconds, which amazed him. Needless to say the special operations team fastest time was held by Levi, so Levi demonstrated the obstacle course layout briefly before waving down the men at the monitors to fire up the simulation. Eren darted and weaved through fake building rooms, taking down spring loaded wooden Titan cutouts.

Once he heard the loud bell, he jogged out from the boarded range and met back up with Levi. 

"A whole minute and eight seconds. Get the fuck back in there." Levi gave Eren an encouraging little push and he bounded back into the obstacle course, clearly having a lot of fun with it. He must have run the course about nine times and then watched Levi complete it in his standard fifteen seconds, astounded by the speed Levi was able to move in, shooting single careful shots with his rifle into the dead centres of each board that sprung up around him. He was damn fast. 

Thoroughly impressed and wanting to learn more, Eren was practically tugging at Levi's sleeve to teach him more in the firing range. Levi suggested Eren learn to use a few more types of weapon, to broaden his skill set and Eren didn't object. He'd already earned an almost perfect score on his accuracy tests with his rifle so far, so Levi allowed him this extra bit of training. If he wasn't confident with his rifle already Levi would have had him practicing with that alone first. 

When they re-entered the small hut containing the shooting range armoury, Levi greeted the weapons administrator and signed out a pair of crossbows, complete with attaching repeaters. Eren just gawked at them like they were some sort of godly item bestowed upon them from above. Levi allowed himself a subtle smile and Eren happily followed him to the shooting range. He flicked on the hazard lights and let himself out onto the course, getting Eren to help him set up every single target in the range. They spent a good half an hour setting up the paper targets, as there were over a hundred to pin up. 

Once back at the completely empty firing stalls with their mufflers over their ears, Levi got Eren to warm up with a few shots from his rifle to stationary and moving targets. 

"You've got a great aim. Lean a little more into it before you fire and exhale just as you pull the trigger." Levi said, standing behind Eren and adjusting his arms just a little bit. "Keep your elbows in and take your time." 

Eren did as instructed, holding his body in position without tensing up too much. He wanted to impress Levi, but at the same time he didn't want to be reprimanded either. He'd just have to do his best and see what he thought. He was still only a trainee, after all. Levi watched him for a few rounds and Eren quickly reloaded, emptying one more round of careful shots into the firing range. 

"Alright, let's try the bows." Levi said, handing it to him. They left their ear mufflers around their necks and retreated away from the firing range to a small table along the back of the room, taking a seat each. Levi carefully showed Eren everything there was to know about the maintenance and build of a crossbow, how to reload it, how it operated, what it would feel like to use, every conceivable piece of mental information Eren could ever want. 

"Ready to give it a go?" Levi asked and Eren nodded, getting up in an instant, loading the bolts onto the top of the crossbow and raising the scope. Levi carefully positioned himself behind Eren, making him shudder slightly as he helped to position his feet and stance. Levi's hands carefully took Eren's wrists, moving them into a decent pose for firing. After what felt like a lifetime within Levi's close proximity, and huffing out a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding, Levi stepped away from Eren, allowing him to glance down his scope at a target board propped up at the far end of the range.

As soon as Eren fired the first bolt, he smiled broadly before leaning into his grip on the weapon and firing again a few times, emptying his clip rapidly. Levi just leant against the side of the stall with his arms folded and a slight smile on his face as he watched Eren enjoy himself. Eren looked to him for guidance and Levi just gestured to another round, which Eren gladly reloaded and started again with moving targets. 

"It's so much lighter than a gun, oh my god." Eren mumbled as he shot the targets with ease. Levi just hummed and nodded. "Sure, it's a bit bigger but it's so much lighter, you can move it so much quicker!" Eren continued. 

"Why do you think I use one?" Levi said to which Eren just smiled, focusing back through his scope and emptying another two clips. 

"You know that was always one of the biggest giveaways in the forest. The Titans weren't exactly quiet with their guns so you'd always hear shots and see the birds flying away. You knew they were coming a lot of the time. These are so much quieter, I doubt you'd wake even the lightest sleepers." Eren laughed, firing a few more bolts into a moving target, hitting the targets each time. 

"You can re-use the bolts if you have time to retrieve them. Not always practical but useful when the situation allows." Levi said with a shrug. 

Eren lowered his bow and looked at Levi, an unreadable expression on his face. Levi looked up at him as he stepped into what could easily be regarded as his personal space. As much as he was dying to have his way with Eren, his hand raised to press against Eren's chest before he could approach any closer. Eren frowned softly but understood without Levi telling him. A silent 'not here' flashing as a warning across Levi's eyes, his face otherwise unmoving. 

"How about we tidy up and go get some tea?" Eren suggested to which Levi nodded, hitting the hazard lights. Just as they returned to the booths, a pair of other soldiers had arrived for some evening practice. Both men greeted Eren and Levi and they quickly returned the gesture, only adding in a 'see you later' to get away quickly. Once back in the comforts of the officer's building, Eren made his way through the small corridors into the small staff kitchenette down the opposite hall to Erwin's office, waiting idly as he boiled the kettle in his pyjamas. 

The officer's administration and quarters building was a deathly quiet realm once the offices emptied after six, so now it was closing on nine, the halls were silent and dark. As soon as Eren clicked the boil on the kettle, he felt warm hands on his hips, with a body to match, leaning against him as he turned to find Levi stood there in his jogging bottoms and a teeshirt. Once he turned to look down at his superior, Levi was leaning up on his toes to kiss him. It was sweet and short, closemouthed, but it still sent shivers up Eren's spine. 

Levi quickly detached himself as swiftly as he'd approached and sought out two mugs from the cupboard, handing a box of peppermint tea to Eren, who turned back around to face the kettle. 

"What was that for?" Eren kept his voice soft and low. 

"Sorry." Levi said with the faintest pink shade tinting his cheeks. Eren found it adorable but knew to keep such remarks to himself considering their location. 

"It's okay, I could do that all day. Just... it's been a while. I was starting to think maybe you weren't interested any more." The taller man said with a soft laugh, making Levi's cheek flush brighter. Levi just waited for the kettle to boil in silence and Eren took both mugs down the hall with Levi hot on his heels, locking his office door behind him as Eren set the tea down on the coffee table to the side of the door. Levi sat on the opposite side of the sofa to Eren and picked his tea up, watching as the brunet sipped at his. 

"How the fuck do you do that?" Levi asked, looking at the brunet with what could only have been shock mixed with curiosity. Eren just stared at him. 

"Do what? Drink tea? It's pretty simple, Sir." Eren teased. 

Levi glared at him and Eren moved to guide their mugs to the table, swinging a leg over Levi's lap and gently pushing him back against the firm sofa when he showed no signs of protesting. "I've been waiting all week for this chance," Eren smiled down at Levi who kept his hands unmoving, on Eren's thighs. They stared at one another, the awkwardness filling every particle of space between them. Eren hadn't had any experience with dating people or being intimate, so he was hoping, praying even, that Levi would lead. When he didn't, just sitting there rubbing circles into his thighs, he leant over to capture his lips with his own. 

At this, Levi responded to, as if he too were waiting for Eren to initiate the contact, afraid that there were invisible, unspoken boundaries he was afraid of crossing. When the taller of the two sat back, he was surprised by the look on Levi's face. He'd never seen him in his office or at the military compound before looking so... relaxed. 

"What?" Levi asked, trailing his hands lazily up Eren's sides, insinuating nothing suggestive with the innocent touches, simply letting Eren know he was there. Eren shrugged off Levi's question and leant down to rest his head on Levi's shoulder, having to hunch his shoulders and upper back just a little so he'd fit upon the shorter statured man beneath him. Levi simply ran a hand through Eren's soft brunet locks and stroked his other hand along his back, holding him close as they sat in silence. 

"You don't mind me doing this?" Eren asked quietly, almost inaudibly. Levi stilled his hand in Eren's hair for a short moment before resuming again. 

"Not really. Does anything I do make you feel uncomfortable?" Levi inquired. Eren remained where he was, allowing his face to be hidden on Levi's shoulder as he relaxed completely into his arms. 

"No. Except for the brat thing, but you don't call me that anymore." Eren said with a lazy shrug. Levi hummed softly, the vibrations dancing across Eren's cheek and making him smile. "I don't think anything you could do would make me feel uncomfortable. I feel safe with you." Eren admitted, albeit quietly toward the end. It was Levi's turn to appreciate the fact Eren couldn't see his face, as he felt the familiar tingle of a blush creeping in and warming the skin below his eyes. 

"You'll let me know as soon as anything disturbs you, right?" Levi asked, sounding unsure, even to himself. Eren sat up at this unusual display of uncertainty and looked Levi in the eye. 

"Of course." Eren promised. "I will." Levi seemed to relax at this and he gestured toward their cups of tea. 

"Mister asbestos mouth, it should have cooled down by now. Let's take this upstairs. I'll rub some of that oil on your back scars if you want." He said as he leant forward slightly in an attempt to get Eren to remove himself from his lap since his legs were starting to fall asleep. Eren complied, but not without a cheeky comment about the direction of their travels and a good snicker regarding massages. Levi just rolled his eyes and patted Eren's ass to get him to move, something he wasn't expecting but grinned at Levi in response nonetheless. 

Once they had finished off their teas, Eren threw himself onto his bed face down, shirt off as Levi sat to his side with the oil Grisha had provided. Eren's scars had slowly begun to improve aesthetically with the oil's help. Sure, they would never disappear completely but at least it was improving how they looked, helping Eren to feel more comfortable without his long sleeve shirts on in the heat. 

"They're looking a lot better, the ones on your arms." Levi said as he gently rubbed the oil over Eren's shoulder blades. Eren's head was turned sideways with his arms propping his pillow up from beneath, so Levi was able to see him smiling softly with his eyes closed. He looked relaxed, which in turn relaxed Levi. Eren just hummed in response and once they were finished and had tucked themselves into their respective beds, Eren couldn't help but smile and think of how completely content he felt in that moment. 

Little did he know, he wouldn't be waking up in the same state.


	19. Venom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I was taking a break for a week but I got this done so I've postponed my little pause to whenever I actually need it.
> 
> I'll have to proof the second half later but enjoy in the meantime!

Levi was disturbed from his light sleep in the early hours of the morning from a rustling sound from his side, coming from the bed beside his own. He was quickly able to blink the sleep from his eyes, trying to hone in his ears on the noises. It was just Eren shuffling around in his sheets again. Levi groaned internally and lay there, frustrated at his usual lack of ability to sleep and his usual disruption. He had always slept light and always made it a force of habit to at least be in a bed in a resting state for at least six hours, but he only really ever fell into a deep enough sleep for half of that time. Now when he'd finally managed to fall asleep, he'd been interrupted by Eren getting comfortable. 

That is until Levi heard him grunt, as if in pain. It was low and grumbled, and full of sleep so Levi deduced he was talking in his sleep again, making incoherent words and grumbling noises. Rolling his eyes and deeming it worse than Eren's snoring due to it's unpredictability, Levi sat up and glared at Eren in the dark, watching as he tossed and turned in his bed. This wouldn't be the first time the kid made a fuck ton of noise in his sleep, since he was prone to nightmares, which fortunately for Levi, were growing less frequent. It had been a week or so since his last nightly disturbance, the last one falling the night before heading out for their training mission. 

Levi sat back against his headboard and could feel the familiar burn under his eyes where his body demanded sleep of him but was denied by his mind for whatever reason. Eren usually calmed down after a little while so Levi could wait it out and try to go back to sleep. Except Eren didn't calm down, he begun twitching violently and almost trying to swat something away, muttering a stream of 'no's' and 'stop's' to his mental assailant(s). The sight and sound of Eren's pained face and voice was enough to have Levi moving slowly out of bed and over to Eren's, gently rocking his shoulder. 

"Eren. Hey, Eren." Levi started, softly so as to not scare him. Eren's twitching softened as he was roused from sleep, but it still took a good few minutes to fully coax Eren from his dark alternate reality. "Eren, it's okay. It's over." Levi cooed gently, keeping his voice low and calm. Eren's eyes shot open and he sat upright in bed, breathing heavily and clutching at his chest and stomach, his arms tensed and shoulders rigid. All Levi could do was rub soothing circles on Eren's back, getting up to sit beside him and wrap his arms around his shaking shoulders. 

Eren turned and gripped Levi's teeshirt tightly, wrapping his arms around his waist and buying his face into the older man's shoulder. Levi pulled him close and ran his fingers gently through his hair around the nape of his neck. "It's alright, I've got you, you're safe." Eren made no noises, but his gently shaking shoulders were enough to indicate he was crying, causing Levi to lean down and hold him tighter, rubbing his back soothingly, knowing there would be little he could say to calm him down. 

"You're safe." Levi quietly repeated, still feeling the sting of exhaustion under his eyes as he waited for Eren to loosen up. As soon as Eren's shoulders slumped and the boy went limp, Levi loosened his own hold around him and let him back away in his own time, Eren's fingers slowly letting go of Levi's shirt. He hunched over on himself, appearing quite small in the space he currently occupied before Levi's eyes and quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeves, trying to be quiet. 

"You don't have to talk about it." Levi said quietly as Eren sniffled and eventually looked up at him in the dark, the soft glow from the flood lights in the courtyard filtering past the blinds and streaking Eren's face. Levi cursed the heavens for the fact that even when he was snot-nosed, red eyed and upset he was still gorgeous in his own way. 

"Do you ever get nightmares?" Eren asked quietly. Levi thought about it for a moment before shrugging. 

"I'm a light sleeper. If I do I don't remember them by morning." 

Eren's shoulders sagged a little as he looked downward. "That's lucky." 

"Yeah, something like that." Levi said, keeping to himself. Eren also kept quiet for a moment before sheepishly apologising for getting Levi's shirt wet with his tears. Levi glanced down and confirmed the small patch on his chest but shrugged and placed a hand on Eren's shoulder, coaxing him to lay back down. Eren slowly did as Levi encouraged and the older man pulled the sheets up and tucked Eren in, almost protectively. Whatever he'd been dreaming of, he wanted Eren to feel the opposite of, so made sure to tuck him in as tenderly as he could. He even brushed his hair from his face and placed a light kiss to the boy's forehead before slowly returning to his own bed, pulling his sheets back over himself. 

He knew he wouldn't return to sleep, but laid there anyway, head turned to the side to observe Eren, who had his eyes closed, breathing softly. It must have been half an hour of piercing silence later that Eren spoke quietly.

"Levi?" Eren whispered, afraid to disturb his light sleep but keen to find out if he was still awake. 

"Yeah?" Levi whispered back. 

"You awake?" 

"Yeah." 

"I can't sleep." Eren admitted quietly, unsure what Levi would truly be able to do for him. 

"Me neither." Levi said to Eren's surprise. 

"Have you always slept lightly?" Eren asked, lying on his side and facing Levi. Levi was facing in Eren's direction too, still able to make him out in the dim lighting provided by the courtyard flood lights. 

"Nah, just the last few years." Levi said, to which Eren said nothing. 

"Levi?" Eren said, his voice wavering slightly, making Levi sit up onto one elbow, looking over at him with concern in the dark. 

"What?" 

"Um..." 

"Spit it out." Levi said with a huff of amusement. Eren just laughed along awkwardly in an attempt to fill space.

"Would you mind if I came over there?" He asked so softly Levi almost missed it. He understood Eren to be a proud young man, so just asking this wouldn't have come easy to him. He was admitting he was still a little shaken by his dream, so Levi silently scooted back in his own bed and lifted his sheet for Eren to shuffle over and lay beside him. Both men got comfortable, finding places for their arms and legs with a practiced ease which should usually take years to establish between a couple. 

"Let's try and get some sleep." Levi said, settling an arm over Eren's and leaning over to kiss his forehead before Eren nestled himself up against Levi's chest, arm flung over his waist. Eren just hummed and closed his eyes.

To Levi's immense surprise, when he woke up it was almost six. He felt genuinely rested and peculiarly content. He rolled onto his side and realised Eren was nowhere to be seen, but his bed was made. He must have woken up for role call in the trainee quad. Levi groaned and rolled over, throwing his legs out of bed and looking over at Eren's clock. It was definitely years since he'd had that much uninterrupted sleep. Not to mention how he didn't even notice when Eren had gotten out of bed and got dressed without waking him. 

He got himself up, shaved and dressed and pulled his boots on, lacing them tightly. Glancing at his phone to check the day's temperatures, he decided upon a vest and a light jacket for the rain. It was due to be another scorcher, finally burning off the last remnants of summer and cooling more and more each day with increasing bouts of rain as the monsoon season approached along with Eren's exam following his birthday. 

By the time Levi had made his way to the meeting room for the debrief, he was relieved to find Eren inside talking over points about the mission with Armin and the other recruits from the 104th squad. Erwin was there too, going over the team's reports and giving feedback or praise where it was due. Levi was invited over to share his observations with the group, so he did. A lot of them looked a bit downtrodden and morose by the time he was finished, as he held back no single detail in ways in which if this were a real operation, most of them would be lying dead in the jungle right now. 

Playing war games was all fine and dandy, but not when there were lives on the line. Levi had seen enough of his comrades fall in battle, he refused to give any slack whatsoever where their wellbeing was concerned. This was one of the factors that made whatever it was he had going on with Eren all the easier to gently push aside whilst at work. He had developed certain feelings in which would be dangerous if discovered. Erwin seemed happy to let it go undetected but Levi understood that if anyone other than his superior were to learn of the new development, repercussions would surely ensue. Repercussions he'd rather not experience. He'd eventually have to have this conversation with Eren, but for now he decided to save it for a day off, away from the complex.

"Levi." Erwin caught his attention away from the cadets and asked him if he had some time to spare. It wasn't phrased as a question. Swearing under his breath and instructing Eren to follow suit with the training regiment's itinerary until he got back, he exited the room and followed Erwin to his office. Not a single preserved animal was out of place, only the files on his desk having moved somewhat since his last visit. Levi wouldn't be able to work in this office, there was too much going on. He supposed if Erwin managed to get his work done in this clusterfuck of a pigsty, then so be it. Each to their own. 

"Take a seat." Erwin invited. 

"I'll stand, thanks." 

"Suit yourself," Erwin said as he settled into his chair and pulled a sheet of paper from one of the files littering the top layer of his desk. He extended his arm out with the sheet and Levi moved closer to take it, scanning over it. As soon as he recognized what it meant, his features noticeably dropped, a soft 'fuck' escaping from parted lips. 

"Exactly." Erwin confirmed.

Levi looked back at the sheet and actually moved around the chair in front of him to sit down, eyes not once tearing away from it. 

"Fuck." 

"Will he be ready?" Erwin asked, clearly referring to Eren. 

"Well he'll fucking have to be, won't he?" Levi groaned out, sitting back into his chair with a slump, flicking the sheet of paper back onto Erwin's desk. 

"I know you'll make it happen," Erwin started as he shuffled through his in tray to retrieve a large string tie folder, unfastening it and spreading a few pages. "I want you and your team to perform the initial reconnaissance. Eren can be left under my own supervision for those few weeks." Erwin said as he handed Levi a few files, very similar to the operation briefing the training squad received, only these ones were not fabricated with hypothetical scenarios. These were very real. 

"Alright." Levi said, still scanning over the documents he'd been given regarding recent Titan activity. He would be leading his small team out into the jungle again, much like he'd done when he'd discovered Eren and Mikasa. They had very strong leads on another jungle laboratory and it was a big one. This one wouldn't be taken out by a single tactical force. He'd need a lot of men for this, so the more he knew about it the better. Erwin would lead the larger scale operation whereas Levi was allowed to run smaller missions by himself, which suited him just fine. He inwardly struggled with the number of dead due to his own choices, he wouldn't be able to shoulder the quantities Erwin must have piled up beneath him. Not that he wouldn't be able to make the tough decision in the moment, but still. It was a choice he'd rather not have to make if he didn't have to. 

"You do realise this will take us over a month to scout?" Levi said with a frown. 

"That's why you depart this afternoon." 

Levi paused. There were still six or seven weeks, he'd lost count, until Eren's eighteenth birthday. He would still be able to train him when he got back and he trusted that Erwin wouldn't go easy on him, bringing him well up to standard in that short time. He couldn't afford not to when he was relying on him so much. He didn't quite understand the feelings he was having of hesitation. He'd never experienced something like this before. Usually if he had a job to do and he was called away on a mission he'd just hand it over to someone remaining on base and wash his hands of the matter entirely. Eren was different and judging by the look on Erwin's face, the Commander understood or at the very least acknowledged Levi's moment of inner turmoil. 

"Alright." Levi eventually said, earning a nod from his superior. "I'll tell Eren to report to you directly from tomorrow onwards and I'll inform my squad." 

"They have already been notified. The trucks are ready." Erwin said, not looking away from his computer monitor. Levi grunted quietly in acknowledgement. 

"Good." 

\---

Eren was at the firing range when Levi returned. He had started to pick up on subtle facial expressions and Levi's current mood was definitely not good. He only allowed it to show for the briefest of moments, but there it was nonetheless, if only for a few seconds before composing himself. 

"Hey, Sir." Eren said, removing his mufflers whilst the other cadets continued firing, the sounds of splintering wood and cracking gunshots ringing through the air. 

"Yeager. You've got new orders. You will report to Commander Smith tomorrow at o-eight-hundred hours. Your training will be supervised by him while I am absent." Levi said sternly. 

"Yes, Sir. May I ask where you are-" Eren started, only to be abruptly cut off.

"Confidential, cadet. I will resume your training once I return. Don't fuck this up." 

Eren was left in the firing range with his mouth slightly open, worried about Levi's sudden icy disposition. It felt very similar to how Levi had behaved when he first met him at that encampment in the mountains. The officer's quarters felt strangely vacant and empty once Eren made his way up for the night, being absolutely sure his alarm was set. He didn't want to be late for a roll call with his superior's superior officer. The leader of the entire regiment at that. 

Gently tapping on Erwin's door, he was beckoned in by the deep voice. He took a seat as Erwin offered him a glass of water, to which he took with thanks, cupping it between his hands as he anxiously awaited information as to his current situation. 

"Good morning Eren. How are you finding everything so far?" Erwin asked. 

"Oh, it's great. I'm improving every day, feeling stronger, more skilled, you know?" 

"That's good to hear. Your reports have displayed similar progress. I'm pleased that your training is going well. You'll make a fine soldier one day." 

Eren couldn't help but feel a tingling feeling at the back of his mind that Erwin was tip toeing around something much bigger. Warming him up with small talk... 

"Thank you Sir, I hope to be worthy of your regiment's time." 

"Don't worry about that. You're already plenty worthy. Your qualifications test is booked for two weeks after your eighteenth birthday at the end of March." 

Eren just cracked a weak smile and nodded in understanding, having nothing to add so waiting for the tall blond to continue. 

"How are you feeling about the test?" 

"Uh, I'm confident in a few areas, others not so much... Can I ask you a question, Sir?" 

"Of course." 

"Why am I reporting to you?" 

"Levi has been deployed. I will be your supervisor until he returns." 

"Oh, okay. And why do you want to know how my training is going, surely my reports say everything you need to know?" 

Erwin hummed and cracked a slight smile of amusement. "The reports give me the black and white. The factual performance KPI's. They don't necessarily tell me how cadets feel about their circumstances." 

"Oh." 

"So, with that, I hope you don't mind me asking..." Erwin began, the start to the question making Eren feel uncomfortable, as if he were about to ask about his relationship with Levi. The potential worries that flooded his mind were stoppable only by what next uttered from Erwin's lips. Eren tentatively awaited the rest of the sentence, only to find himself tensing as soon as the words came out. 

"How do you feel about Levi's... training methods?" Erwin had not looked at a single thing on his desk or in his office for the entirety of their meeting. He had kept his blue eyes locked on Eren, making the teenager feel uneasy and vulnerable beneath the scrutiny. Eren however kept finding himself drawn and distracted by the movements of the fish to the side or the snakes in the vivariums behind Erwin. Anything to avoid maintaining eye contact with the powerful man before him. He held steady though, ignoring all distractions and keeping his eye contact firm. 

"He's... It's uh..." Eren winced as he thought for words. "He's good. I mean, training. He's a good teacher. I've learned so much from him in such a short time. I never thought I'd be ready for this test, but it feels more achievable each and every day." Eren said, slowly gaining his confidence the more he spoke. 

"So you're happy with his supervision." 

"Yes." 

"And do you feel you have had ample resources to recover since being brought home from the jungle?" 

Eren had to pause for a moment to dissect the question in his mind. "I suppose time will tell, although I haven't got that as a luxury within my current circumstance. The therapist has been useful, though." Eren admitted. 

"Yes, it is unfortunate that after such an ordeal you were not rightly granted any time to recover. If you don't mind sharing with me, how are you? Emotionally? Mentally?" Erwin asked with a sudden softness to his voice, making Eren feel slightly more at ease. If Levi trusted this man with his life, he surely could too.

"I..." Eren started. 

"Take your time." Erwin said quietly, not demanding of an answer, further disarming Eren. The teen nodded and looked down for a moment before continuing. 

"I still have nightmares..." He admitted quietly. "No one exactly forced themselves on me properly out there, but I had to watch others..." Eren paused to sip his water, his throat drying out. Erwin remained silent, not looking at him with pity or sympathy, but just sitting. Just listening. "I have dreams that they do the same to me. It's like I'm powerless against them." Eren said with a small shrug. 

"Thank you for your openness, but I hope you don't mind me asking for a little more clarity. When you say no one forced themselves upon you... Properly?" Erwin said, leaving the end of his sentence for Eren to fill out. 

"Well there were... Two, three times? When I was between eleven and thirteen. They'd come over, drunk or stoned, whatever you want to call it. They'd try to touch me inappropriately but they'd always get interrupted or I'd fight them off. Then I met Mikasa and we looked after each other. Nothing happened directly to me after that." 

A simple nod from Erwin. 

"We saw it plenty over the years, some of the other kids at the labs where Levi's squad found us. It wasn't so much the touches that disturbed me. Not really." 

"Then what?" Erwin asked, not sounding in the slightest part judgemental, which relieved Eren, allowing him to speak freely. 

"It was just... How they were normal human beings before they smoked that shit or drank alcohol, then something dark would overtake their thoughts and actions. They weren't themselves anymore." Eren said, seeming strangely relaxed describing his abusers and kidnappers. "I've come to accept that whatever makes them do what they do... It isn't truly themselves making those choices. It's something else." 

"What do you think it is?" Erwin asked. 

"Well, I had a lot of time to think about it... and the only reasonable thing I could come up with was this whole thing about good and evil. We're just vessels for expressing one or the other, and it's a choice as to which one you align to." Eren said with a shrug. Erwin kept a straight face and nodded along. 

"Some people choose good, some don't. If you don't choose one or the other, the more dominant one is chosen for you. It's pretty simple." 

"Wise words coming from such a young man." Erwin said with a smile. Eren cracked a slight smile too.

"What can I say, I've had a lot of time to reflect on life and shit." Eren said with a huff, smiling a little more honestly now. 

"Well. I appreciate your openness Eren."

"No problem, I guess." 

"Does Levi know what you've just shared?" 

"Not in so much detail." Eren said with a shrug. Erwin tilted his head just a little bit, looking at Eren with a calculated expression on his face. Eren could practically hear the cogs twisting and turning. 

"You may wish to tell him..." 

"Uh... Okay." Eren said carefully, cautiously. "Is there, anything else? Sir?" 

Erwin shuffled through his paperwork and pulled out a file, opening it and flicking to a page. "How about we start with your weakest point." Eren relaxed when he realised Erwin had changed the topic. "I want to work with you to have you ready for this test. You'll be given obstacles throughout your training going forward. I will not tell you what they will be, but I look forward to observing you overcome them and in turn building your weakest points and strengthening your assets." 

Eren hummed and nodded, looking at the man with a burning determination in his eyes. 

"What do I do first?" 

Erwin paused before smiling. "First you'll be moving into the barracks with your comrades." 

\--- 

The next three weeks went by much faster than Eren had anticipated they ever would. He'd been thrown problems to solve from missing bars of soap in the showers to broken pipes, radios, beds, you name it. He'd been given jammed guns in live round practices and even had a blanks training mission where he'd been cornered specifically by the enemy to see how he'd react to Titan capture. Erwin was very pleased to see him meet expectations if not excel in almost all of his tests, down to the seemingly trivial ones designed to test his patience, one of his weakest points. Levi must have been rubbing off on the young man because with each and every minute task or problem, he would just grit his teeth and bear it. All for the benefit of the greater good of getting through his training and getting out onto the field to make a difference in the shitty world he lived in. Erwin admired the boy's tenacity as he read slowly through his most recent report. 

Eren on the other hand was currently training with some of the scouting regiment soldiers who hadn't been dispatched on Levi's recent mission. He'd observed that all of his original team mates were gone from the complex, as well as Hange from his dad's house, where he spent his one day off site each week for the last three weeks. 

"C'mon, you can do better than that!" The soldier opposite Eren goaded as they stood again for another take-down practice. Eren cracked his neck a little and moved into a defensive stance when suddenly a few loud voices were heard from across the training quad, towards the entrance to the officer's administration sector. Furrowing his brows and breaking into a jog along with a few other cadets curious enough to disturb their training, he approached the side entrance and let himself in, carefully following the narrow halls where the yelling grew louder. 

Eren frowned as he turned a corner, only to hear a loud crash and a few more curse words. They were definitely coming from Erwin's office, so he picked up his pace and strode through the hall to his door, which flung open the moment he got there, allowing a very angry Nile Dawk to storm out and shove past the young cadet, earning him a glare. The man had a split lip and a bleeding gash on his forehead but when Erwin didn't emerge from his office, Eren was concerned. 

He let himself into his office and was taken aback by the large vivarium on the back of the wall shattered, no Reiner in sight as Erwin laid on the ground, writhing in pain and clutching his hand which had a very fresh looking puncture mark on it, swelling rapidly. Eren ran to Erwin's phone and dialled the infirmary straight away.

"Hello I need a medic at Commander Smith's office. I think there was a fight... And I think he's been bitten by one of his snakes." Eren said hurriedly before hanging up and looking around for Reiner. His ears scanned carefully for any movement and his eyes darted to any and all dark spots around the room, looking for possible hiding places the viper could have escaped to. Eren found the snake curled up beside a bookshelf near Erwin's head and narrowed his eyes as he attempted to think of a safe way of getting Erwin out without getting him bitten again, or worse, himself. 

Eren picked up a large fossilised shell in a lump of rock on Erwin's shelf opposite to the side the snake was positioned and he carefully lined it up before throwing it. The rock didn't hit the snake but it did serve as a loud enough distraction to get it to back up under the bookshelf entirely, allowing Eren the time to move around Erwin's desk to pull the heavy man away by the feet before Reiner could retaliate again. 

Eren quickly pressed two fingers to Erwin's throat. His pulse was rapid and his skin was sweaty, breathing shallow as he clutched his wrist, his hand now roughly the size of a grapefruit as the two puncture wounds on the side of his hand oozed freely, the venom preventing coagulation. He rushed to a first aid kit and messily pulled out a gauze, a bandage, whatever he could find that he could press against the wounds. 

"Slow your breathing down, sir." Eren said. "Don't let the venom spread too quickly." 

Erwin huffed out a laugh as he struggled to reign in his breath. "Easy for you to say..." He muttered, wincing as Eren held pressure against his wound, keeping an eye on where Reiner had hidden. The snake made no attempt at leaving beneath the bookshelf but Eren remained alert anyway. Annie's tank hadn't been broken, which was good. The last thing he needed was double the trouble.

The medics arrived and Erwin was removed on a gurney, leaving Eren to handle Reiner. With a practiced ease he managed to toss enough objects at the snake to incapacitate it. He didn't know if it was dead when he removed it's limp body but he wasn't prepared to find out. Eren slid the limp, four metre snake into an empty tank at the front of Erwin's room, ensuring it was sealed. He then made a phone call to ensure his office was tidied up.

Over the next week, Eren would make daily visits to his commanding officer, who despite being bitten by one of the most deadly animals in the world, was still tending to his workload from his hospital bed, using one arm to type and make phone calls. He was still left completely in the dark as to the argument that had caused the snake bite, but he had enough of an idea to understand it had something to do with Nile's wife. Levi had made enough comments about their affair for Eren to be able to put the pieces together himself. He wasn't an idiot in that respect. 

Nile probably found out, got pissed and came over to Erwin's office to give him a piece of his mind. 

Not his business, Eren concluded. He wondered when Levi would return, whether he was okay, whether his mission was going well, but didn't dare ask the Commander since Levi had told him the information was confidential. He was out on secret orders, so it'd be best not to pry and trust that he'd come back. 

"How are you feeling?" Eren asked after saluting Erwin in his hospital bed. Erwin waved him off and returned to typing one-handed before looking up at the youth. 

"So-so. I've got a surgery tomorrow." 

"Oh, is it healing at all?" Eren asked. He felt foolish for asking such a question, since he knew how this sort of snake bite worked. It wouldn't end well either way. He'd more than certain need reconstructive surgery on his hand, probably lose motion in some fingers. That is if he didn't lose the whole hand.

"The blisters burst this morning. The skin is rotting." Erwin's reply came as no surprise to Eren, who stood quietly, lips pressed together in a thin line. 

"Does Levi know?" He asked. Erwin nodded. 

"He's returning in three days." 

"How did it go?" Eren asked. Erwin practically grimaced, making Eren regret asking. Eren's face paled and he covered his mouth slightly when Erwin didn't say anything.

"How many losses?" Eren asked almost cautiously. Erwin kept a completely stone like expression on his face, his eyes glazing over with a layer of ice. 

"Most of them." 

"Shit." 

"Yeah. You'd better be there to meet Levi when he gets back... He'll need you." Erwin said quietly at the end, giving away the first verbal inclination to his knowledge of their relationship. Eren just averted his eyes almost bashfully and nodded a few times, agreeing to the order. 

"Let me know if you need anything, yeah?" Eren asked, glancing at his watch. He had practice in ten minutes and didn't want to be late.

"Sure. Keep me updated with your training. I still want daily reports." Erwin said stubbornly. Eren pushed his own thoughts aside about him needing to rest and obediently nodded, leaving for his training. 

Erwin meant a lot to Levi, and hearing that the casualties had been great on his latest mission, Eren feared for his team's lives. They were all quite special to him. They'd been the first people to help get him out of the jungle after all. Levi was very close with his soldiers and treasured their lives above all else. Losing 'most of them' wouldn't go down well. 

As Eren jogged to practice, he couldn't help but feel concern over whether Levi himself was injured. Or Hange even. What would happen if Levi and his dad were both stricken with grief? It would surely be no different to losing a friend in the jungle and having to live beside mourning comrades, fearing for their lives. 

"Yeager!" A loud voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He focused his attention onto Shadis, who ordered him into formation for the training exercise. 

This was going to be a very long three days.


	20. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff happens. :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah nelly this fic is already at 130k - when did that happen.

As ordered by Erwin, Eren stood at attention a little ways away from the helipad where Levi's squad (or what remained of it) returned from it's mission. Eren was nervous, having not seen or heard from the man in over a month and his throat turned dry when the first thing that came off the helicopter was five body bags. It was awful not knowing what happened, how or who died, whether Levi was okay or- 

Levi stepped off the chopper with a little assistance from Hange and Mike and Eren felt relief flood his senses as he struggled to keep his feet bolted in place, saluting earnestly. Levi was visibly limping and Eren felt his chest constrict. What he wasn't expecting was for Levi's sullen face to soften as soon as he laid eyes on Eren. 

Levi's attention drifted briefly over Eren's body, seemingly ensuring he was all there, or more probably taking in the (significant) additional muscle mass Erwin's training had done to him over the five weeks. Probably the latter, by the surprised glint in Levi's eyes before he was loaded onto the rear of an ambulance. Eren kept himself calm and collected on the outside as he saluted and made his way back to the training grounds, but on the inside his thoughts and emotions were running wild with anxiety. 

The week that followed was a dark one for the Scouting regiment. With the effects of the venom, Erwin had almost lost his right arm, the necrosis spreading to just above his elbow before the doctors were able to contain it. They conducted cleaning operations often and thankfully the man would keep the limb. His fingers however were not so fortunate. His right ring finger and pinky had to be removed, as well as a good portion of flesh grafted to the side of his wrist and forearm from his thigh. The rest of the nerves in his right hand would likely forever be somewhat damaged and require months or years of rehabilitation. 

Needless to say the Commander wouldn't be leaving his hospital bed for the next couple of weeks. Eren found it very convenient that he hadn't heard a peep from the Military Police. Just as he assumed, the corruption saved Nile's skin and he got away with assaulting Erwin. Rumors stipulated that both sides had agreed to not press charges in order to avoid a public scandal and further damage the relationship between the two military regiments. 

Every ounce of anger he felt due to injustice however was completely overridden by the feeling of immense loss. Eld, Gunter, Oluo, Luke, Dita and even Petra had been killed on this last mission. If only he had been strong enough to join them, Eren bitterly thought. 

Levi had been injured and the mission had, despite it's losses, been an absolute failure. The entire military compound was in temporary shock. The entirety of Levi's squad, the regiment's pointed arrowhead, snuffed out in the blink of an eye. Eren at least had to be thankful that Mike, Hange and Levi were all safe, even if a little scratched up. Levi was ordered bed rest for the first two days as a sprained muscle healed in his left leg. He was up and walking again by the end of the week, although taking it easy on the exercise. 

Eren tentatively knocked on Levi's office door and waited to hear the man call him in. 

"Come in." Came a muffled voice behind the door and Eren let himself in, closing the door gently behind himself before saluting his superior officer who regarded him with tired eyes. 

"Yes?" Levi asked, his tone monotonous. 

"I uh, I just came to uh..." Eren started, unsure of where he was really going with this. He'd wanted to see if Levi wanted any company, or see how he was dealing with the loss of his squad. The man just glared at him. 

"What is it. Spit it out." 

Eren tried very hard not to feel hurt by Levi's curt response, tried diligently even to justify it. "Is everything okay, Sir?" Levi sighed, making Eren feel nervous and uncomfortable. What if he didn't want to continue spending time together? Eren worried. 

"I haven't had time to go through my emails yet." Levi said, confusing the young brunet opposite him. He instructed for Eren to sit and so he did. "I've not caught up with how your last six weeks have gone. Please fill me in."

Eren frowned slightly as Levi sat back in his chair, watching the boy expectantly. 

"Well I've improved my run time to under nine minutes on sand. My mock scores for entrance to the Scouts have come back in the eighties for each category, nineties for weaponry skills and a perfect one-hundred score in survival and intuition. If I can get myself to run that mile in under nine minutes, I'll be as ready as I can be for joining active service." Eren said, confidently although a little flat in his tone. He wasn't exactly happy that Levi hadn't bound straight back into his arms, but what could he expect? The man was probably mourning. 

"Very good." Was all Levi said before taking a sip from his tea, seemingly thinking something over. 

"I have a proposition for you." Levi said, catching Eren's attention instantly, the boy sitting upright in his seat and paying close attention. "Following this most recent mission, I am going to need a new squad of elite soldiers. Sure, I have a few hand-picked already, some even from your training unit." Levi said as Eren's eyes turned as wide as saucers at the implications of what the man may ask of him. 

"So I wanted you to join me, should you pass entrance, which it sounds very much like you will, with flying colours. I want you to join my squad. We will have orders to deploy as soon as you pass that exam." Levi said. It was a lot to take in and Eren paused to look at his hands for a moment, wondering exactly who it was who he'd already hand-picked. 

"You don't need to give me a response straight aw-" 

"I'll do it." 

Levi looked up at the young man with a glint of interest in his eyes, nodding slowly before returning to his laptop screen, tapping at the trackpad a few times. 

"I'll order you a phone and your own kit of gear. Head over to Hange at any point today and they'll fit you for it." Levi said. Eren nodded and stood to leave. As soon as he got to the door, Levi called his name, making him turn to his superior quickly. 

"Sorry, by the way." 

"What for?" 

"I didn't answer your question." Levi said calmly. Eren had to think for a moment to figure out which question it was, but when he realised he just nodded. 

"It's okay." 

"Eren?" 

"Yes?" 

"Come by tonight?" 

"To stay, or just visit?" Eren asked, unsure of whether he'd be resuming his sleeping in Levi's quarters now that he was back. 

"I suppose we'd better obey orders until your test. Bring your things." Levi said with a nonchalant expression on his face and a small shrug. Eren just grinned, Levi rolling his eyes. "You'll be staying with your new squad once you pass in a few weeks, so don't get too comfortable." Levi added, turning back to his screen. Eren let himself out and couldn't help but smile, even if for a second, for the first time that week. 

The ceremony for the fallen soliders was a solemn occasion performed in the midst of the miserable afternoon downpour. Eren frowned deeply as the soldiers finished folding the Ragakan flags from Levi's squad's caskets and a row of uniformed officers began firing into the air in unison as the coffins were loaded into hearses to be driven to the burial sights on the other side of the river. Erwin had even managed to join them, but Eren understood that a snake bite like his would mean the man was in severe pain right now and the bags under his eyes and the pained expression on his face gave just that away. He looked about ready to collapse, so as soon as the cars were loaded he returned to his wheelchair and was taken back to the infirmary. 

Everyone gave the soldiers one final salute before returning to Eren's training. 

"I swear you got taller..." Levi said as they came to a stop for the day, signing their equipment back in at the armory. Eren just smiled and shrugged. He had indeed gone through a final growth spurt these last two months, the effects of which only now visible toward the end of it. He now loomed over Levi at an impressive 1.8 meters, a whole twenty centimeters taller. Not to mention his recent intensive physical training and dietary adjustments on Erwin's behalf had bulked him out sideways too. Levi found himself staring despite his conflicted feelings on the matter, having hoped that spending so long away from the kid would diminish any attachments he held toward him. 

The pair made their way back to Levi's office at the end of the day and Eren sat on the small sofa as Levi unlaced his boots, leaning against the short bookshelf. Levi remained by the shelf, looking over a small frame with a team photograph of himself with his old squad. Eren frowned and got up to gently slip his arms around his superior's waist. When Levi didn't try to move away or protest, only setting the frame back down on the shelf, Eren bent over to rest his chin on the shorter man's shoulder. 

Levi leaned against him, into the touch as he rested his own hands atop Eren's, making the younger man smile softly as he held him. 

"Are you tired?" Eren said. 

"Not really. You?" 

"Not really." 

It was in this moment that Erwin's words returned to the foreground of Eren's mind. Tell Levi about his nightmares? What was Erwin suggesting? He wasn't sure whether now would be an appropriate moment to bring it up, since Levi had already gone through so much in a week, but didn't forget about it. He'd bring it up eventually. It was important to Erwin for whatever reason, perhaps to help their bond somewhat by not keeping details from his caretaker.

"Levi?" Eren's voice was muffled by the way his face was pressed against the crook of Levi's neck and shoulder. Levi simply pressed back into Eren's arms, humming softly. Eren enjoyed the feeling of having a warm, solid body against his chest. It helped reassure him that Levi was still here, alive and well as can be.

Of all things Eren desperately wanted to say to the man, spraying out all of his trapped feelings about him, all that somewhat awkwardly came out was "I'm glad you're back." Levi just held his arms around Eren's around his waist and the pair remained still for what felt much longer than it probably was. 

"What are you thinking?" Levi eventually asked. 

"Honestly?" Levi didn't need to answer that. Eren could practically hear the man's eyebrows furrowing into a glare. "Well, um..." Eren squeezed his arms around Levi's midsection a little before turning his head to kiss his neck gently. His voice was hushed when he continued. "I just want to make all this shit go away... If only for a little while." Eren said, returning to kissing Levi's neck carefully, assessing cautiously whether the man would push him away or not. 

Eren felt Levi's shoulders relax slightly beneath his hold as he kissed his neck and the shorter man slowly moved his head to the side, allowing Eren to slowly kiss along his jaw until he turned slowly in his arms to face him, reaching up onto his toes to kiss him. The kiss was slow, affectionate and laced with mutual yearning for more. Eren wanted nothing more than to take Levi's pain away whereas Levi was unsure where Eren's pain boundaries stood, afraid of crossing an unspoken border. Regardless of this detail Levi appreciated the contact, and would take anything he was given.

When Eren moved his hands around Levi's back to hold him close, Levi lowered his heels so as to break the kiss gently, their lips not yet bruised pink but their cheeks both pleasantly tinted with affection. The way Levi looked up at Eren screamed for more but despite this, Eren remained still, unmoving. Levi knit his brows together just enough for Eren to notice and the shorter man pulled the taller down for another kiss. 

Eren, somewhat startled by the sudden physical contact, pressed forward against Levi until he gently backed into the bookcase, kissing him slowly and passionately as Levi's hands cupped his cheeks. Eren's hands found the bookshelf and one hand braced himself against it, the other running down the side of Levi's jacket and hip, giving the soft area a gentle squeeze, making the older man gasp and push his hands further into Eren's soft hair behind his neck, pulling him down as the kiss slowly grew more heated. 

"Hah, mm... Levi" Eren managed to groan out as the shorter man pressed his body's length against him. The pair of them would occasionally break their slow kisses for the odd soft groan or increasingly heavy pant, until Levi pulled his head back and looked Eren in the eye, his pupils blown black.

Eren panted down at the man, their faces still inches apart as he waited to hear whatever it was Levi seemed to want to say. 

"I... we shouldn't..." Levi mumbled out quietly as Eren returned his slow caress to Levi's neck and jawline, peppering it with kisses as his hands trailed down Levi's sides, carefully resting at his hips, his fingertips long enough to gently brush the sides of his arse cheeks, making Levi's cheeks flush just that little bit brighter. 

"Why not?" Eren managed to breathe out between kisses, Levi simply let his mouth hang open and his head lolled back as Eren took a slow hold of Levi's bum to grind his groin against his superior's, causing Levi to hiss out a shaky breath. 

"I... don't want you being uncomfortable..." Levi muttered out as Eren ground against him slowly and sensually, kissing his neck again, nipping at the skin gently in an attempt (that would ultimately fail,) to not leave marks. Eren huffed out a laugh, making Levi glare up at him. 

"Sir, do I feel uncomfortable to you?" Eren asked, a hint of joviality to his voice, making Levi rut his hips against his subordinate to shush him. Significantly relieved that this sort of activity didn't seem to bother Eren, Levi dared to reach his own hands toward Eren's hips, thumbs brushing closely to his crotch as they returned to heatedly swallowing one another's tongues. 

"You seem pretty uncomfortable to me..." Levi laughed out, feeling Eren's prominent, clothed bulge now beneath his palm, making the younger man groan languidly against his mouth and tense in his hold once he'd finished speaking. Their breathing soon turned ragged as Levi carefully and slowly tested Eren's borders and traced his fingers along the grooves of his belt, silently asking for permission to enter. When Eren lightly kissed Levi and tilted his hips back to grant him the access to unfasten his belt, Levi went for it, needing no other confirmation of consent.

"Let me know if you want to stop." Levi said with a serious tone, albeit a little breathless. Eren hurriedly shook his head and bit his lip as Levi's hand tucked neatly into the front of his trousers and cupped his erection through his boxers. Eren quietly moaned against Levi's shoulder as he palmed him through the fabric, feeling the slight dampness from the tip seeping through near the waistband. 

Levi found himself pleasantly surprised at Eren's general size. It wasn't massive, but it was still much bigger than his own and it wasn't even completely hard yet. He could very much imagine himself on the receiving end of treatment from this, he lewdly thought to himself, the only indication of his arousal coming out of his mouth in pants and shaky breaths as he wiggled Eren's trousers down a little to free his erection, slowly and carefully gripping it and making very slow movements up and down it's length. 

It was uncomfortable standing with Eren's weight against him with his back pressed against the top shelf of the bookshelf, but he stuck with it for Eren's sake as he gently stroked him into full hardness. Eren grumbled something and interrupted him by stepping back, worrying the older man for a very brief moment before he took hold of his tie and pulled him slowly toward the sofa with him. Eren felt the edge of the armchair hit the backs of his legs and he sat slowly, Levi following somewhat less than gracefully into his lap and continuing to stroke him. 

Eren groaned and threw his head back against the armchair, resting his hands on Levi's hips until an idea struck him. 

"Hah, Levi..." Eren said hurriedly, worrying Levi that he was having second thoughts. Levi's hand instantly stilled.

"What?" 

"Both of us..." Eren flicked his eyes down toward their close crotches and Levi cracked a slight smirk. "Together" he mumbled, covering his eyes out of embarrassment. 

"Don't want me missing out on all of the fun, eh?" Levi whispered close to Eren's ear as he hunched forward, the sound of his own zipper filling the space between their heavy pants and labored breathing. Eren just mewled quietly, trying to choke back moans as Levi's hand slowly stroked up and down his now painful erection. 

Once Eren felt Levi wrap his hand around both of their lengths and before long the pair were both rutting their hips, uncoordinated into Levi's hand, reaching their releases no longer than five minutes from Levi unbuckling Eren's belt. With a little bit of foresight and a conveniently placed tissue box on the table beside the armchair, the pair came more or less together with minimal mess. (No thanks to Eren, who was boneless against the armchair as Levi cleaned them both up and tucked themselves away neatly, despite still huffing from his mental state of euphoria. 

Levi slumped over Eren's shoulder as he caught his breath, Eren's hands gently held around his waist as the younger man came around. Levi didn't linger, giving Eren a chaste kiss before getting up and sitting on the sofa across from Eren's armchair. Eren sat quietly with a stupid grin on his face, which Levi couldn't help but smile at. 

"I have to ask..." Levi said quietly, expression solemn all of a sudden. Eren perked an eyebrow as his smile slowly diminished, curious and worried at what Levi had to say with such a grim look on his face. 

"Yeah?" Eren cautiously asked the older man, sitting forward in his seat slightly.

Levi leant forward and rested his elbows against his knees, twiddling his fingers for a moment before looking back up at Eren. "When you were out in the jungle... The Titans, did they... Did any of them..." Levi struggled, clearly uncomfortable bringing up the topic, afraid to upset the brunet. Eren caught on fairly quickly, his conversation with Erwin dangerously close to the subject. 

"Did any of them sexually abuse me?" Eren said clearly, wanting to rip the bandage off there and then, the words seemingly making Levi cringe internally. It would be an uncomfortable topic for any man, no matter how stoic they pretended to be. Levi was no exception and he was allowing Eren to see this. He simply nodded once, looking at Eren in undemanding anticipation. 

"No." Levi visibly relaxed somewhat, smiling slightly at Eren's admission. Eren simply cracked a slight smile in return before disclosing similar details as he did with Erwin, only now in Levi's company not holding back any gritty details. Watching it happen to others, fearing it happening to him, the nightmares, his deepest fears. Levi listened silently as Eren spoke, not interrupting other than to nod and ask occasional, simple questions. The pair of men smiled at one another once Eren deemed himself finished and Levi scooted over to kneel before Eren on the armchair, taking a hand. Eren pulled him up and encouraged Levi to sit in the chair also, but since it was so narrow he just ended up straddling his legs again, sat on the younger's thighs. 

"Let me know if anything is ever uncomfortable. Even a little bit." Levi said, a stern look on his face. Eren just smiled and placed his hands on Levi's legs. 

"I will, I promise." 

"Have you ever done anything like that before?" Levi asked, now that the mood had lightened somewhat but the topic was still on the same path. 

"Um..." Eren said with a crooked smile that answered it for him, albeit awkwardly. "Only kisses or... Petting."

"Heh, likewise." Levi said, rubbing his neck. 

"Wait, seriously?" 

"Yeah. I had a boyfriend a while back but we didn't get very far." 

"So you're..." Eren's grin was growing wider by the second and Levi laughed softly, nodding. 

"A complete virgin?" Levi deadpanned as he placed his hands around Eren's neck. Eren just laughed, much looser and freer than he had done all week since the episode with Erwin's snake bite and Levi's squad. Levi couldn't help but smile too, Eren's laughter contagious and the vibrations it made soothing.

"What's so funny?" 

"I just, I guess I assumed since, oh I don't know." 

"What, my age? My amazing people skills?" Levi remarked sarcastically with a shrug. Eren just kept smiling and nodded along, running his hands across Levi's legs idly as the older man leant back down to kiss Eren once more. 

"Looks like we're just as inexperienced as each other." Eren said, still smiling as soon as Levi had let his lips go. 

"Yeah, so sorry in advance if I'm completely useless at this whole... physical contact thing." Levi said quietly, awkwardly. Eren just chuckled. 

"It's fine. We don't have to jump into anything soon, so no pressure I guess?" Eren proposed. Levi nodded. 

"Yeah, when you're ready, if you're ready. I don't want you to feel pressured into sleeping with me." 

"Same applies to you, Mister!" Eren said with a breathy laugh which made Levi's cheeks twinge a slight pink. "You're in the same boat as me and let me tell you if I'm scared as shit about doing that, you must be too."

"Good point." Levi admitted, sighing somewhat in relief as he let a warm smile slip. 

"So..." Eren said with a cheeky glint in his eye after a brief moment of silence. "Who wants to top first?" 

Levi laughed out loud and shoved playfully at Eren's shoulders, pushing himself up to attempt to stand, only to be thwarted in his efforts by two tanned arms slinking around his waist and pulling him back down. The pair were snickering and giggling like children as Levi attempted to get away from Eren, albeit completely playfully, the two ending up as a pile of limbs on the floor, Levi having tried to get up only to have Eren cling to him the entire way, pulling him down. 

"Pah, get off you're heavy!" Levi protested, although didn't entirely mean it. He could stand Eren's weight and the clever little shit knew it, clinging to his waist and peppering his clothed stomach with kisses and blowing ridiculous raspberries, making Levi squirm and laugh, embarrassed for Eren on his behalf. He adored how the kid didn't even care what he looked like and eventually he ceased in his struggles and just laid there on the floorboards before the sofa, enjoying having the warm body up against his legs and torso. 

They must have stayed on the floor in a comfortable silence for a good further half hour, just lying there with Eren's arms around Levi's waist and Levi's hands on Eren's shoulders. Until of course Levi complained about his back hurting under Eren's weight against the hard floor and they both got up to get ready for bed. The room was now well past the dimming twilight and settling into the dark night. Some lights were hit, teeth were brushed and Levi didn't need convincing when Eren asked if he wanted to share a bed that night. 

"Remember what I said about keeping our little... Escapades to our days off in the city? Like, not doing this shit in my office on the floor?" Levi said. Eren just shrugged. 

"We'll keep it private, just sleep with me this once? No funny business, I promise." Eren pleaded with a sweet smile and a bat of his eyelashes (which went completely disregarded by the older man, who proceeded to get under the sheets with Eren anyway).

\---

The following few weeks leading up to the cadet's entrance exam were intense as everyone knuckled down and tried cramming in those last minute runs and revision sessions before their respective days. They were examined in large groups on set days for certain tests, so most would receive their results at the same times, together. Eren's eighteenth birthday came and went but he and Levi were too preoccupied to properly celebrate it. The cadets on-site prepared a small cake and all sang for him that evening and Levi promised they would celebrate properly between themselves once Eren's exams were over. 

They had spent almost every one of their days off on military soil, revising, practicing and running mock tests in every category. Levi had been informed a number of weeks into his supervision of Eren that they would be deploying on a major mission as soon as April hit. He decided to keep this information from Eren as he seemed to be performing well enough for his exam without having to add unnecessary pressure to the teenager. 

Eren passed all categories as expected and Levi was granted a brief moment to breathe. He had crammed two years (plus) of training into five months and the kid had actually pulled it off, ranking fifth in the records for all tests taken in the last three years and even landed eight minutes and twenty seconds on his run, putting him at the top of his class through sheer determination and months of consistent hard work. Needless to say when their results came through with Jean coming in at a close second, he was greener than the geckos that clung to the walls in the warm evenings.

With the wet season now beginning in full swing, the days were clouded 80% of the time and storms gave way to clear skies one day in every fortnight. Levi and Eren were waiting outside Erwin's office, completely soaked and grinning stupidly at each other after having just celebrated Eren's result with the other cadets, all of which in the 104th unit passed with flying colours and now were moving forward to specialised trainings and skill sets unique to the scouting regiment. 

Erwin's arm had healed in that time after a few operations and very painful healing process. It wasn't pretty to look at, half of the skin sunken in where the bite had dissolved the flesh, but it was there. He'd had a few skin grafts so at least that improved it somewhat. He was recovering feeling in his remaining fingertips and mobility in each digit as the days grew on, which was a good sign. The doctor's prognosis was that he would eventually have full use of the arm, but for the time being it would be limited. No fine, detailed needlework for the Commander for a while. 

Erwin called Levi and Eren into his office, the glass pane of Reiner's vivarium having been replaced and the snake contained. Moblit had done a wonderful job at keeping Erwin's animals alive while he spent time in the infirmary. The men sat around his desk and caught up briefly, Levi remaining fairly nonplussed regarding Erwin's injury, even if both other men could tell he was concerned. He'd never admit it out loud, even if someone told him face to face what he was blatantly feeling. He simply covered his concern with crude jokes and sarcastic comments about Erwin's masturbation habits being impaired, only for Erwin to quip back regarding his reasonable level of ambidexterity in that department. 

...something Eren wasn't sure he ever _really_ needed to know about the Commander. 

So be it. Eren enjoyed observing and listening to the banter between the two close men and kept quiet as they went over Eren's test results as well as a few other minute details regarding documentation to sign and send to the Military Police and the courts to confirm his formal enlistment, along with copies of his examination results signed and approved by Darius Zackly himself. 

"Now that that's all sorted, I wanted to run over a few details about your stay here with us." Erwin said. "Since Levi has snagged you for a spot on his special operations squad following a little more specialised training, you'll be staying in a new dorm room with your comrades." Eren wasn't surprised, but at the same time he was excited to stay with his peers. It felt comfortable when he stayed with Levi but at the same time staying in a room full of bunks reminded him of the better times spent with the other children in the jungle laboratory tent. 

Staying in similar dorms for that month prior to his exam Eren had also experienced some of the more negative aspects of shared living, such as the snoring. Fortunately he was on a lower bunk for the most of it, so whenever he heard gunshots in the background or the noises of cadets training and fighting one another through the windows, he wasn't quite as anxious as if he'd have been on the top bunk. He'd tried sleeping top but found it too similar to his surroundings in the jungle, waking up with nightmares almost every night until he swapped beds with Connie who couldn't care less where he slept. 

Eren would certainly miss so much time alone with Levi and the personal training, but was more than excited to finally be able to call himself a real soldier and fight alongside equals rather than just being the kid everyone pitied for his scars. The pathetic kid dragged out from the thickest depths of the jungle. The black and green crossed wing emblem would now be emblazoned upon his own broad back, proudly so. 

"You will report directly to Levi along with the rest of your squad, whom you'll meet later this week. I'm sure you're already aware of a few of the members already." Erwin said, looking between Levi and Eren. Eren nodded. He'd heard Jean running his mouth and bragging about himself and Armin, but mostly himself. Mike and Hange often accompanied Levi's missions, not because they were members of his squad but because Levi requested their skills personally dependent on the missions he was assigned. Erwin knew better than to deny the man what he wanted. Levi knew which people would get the jobs done and nine times out of ten he'd make it happen, more often than not against huge odds. Erwin would let him pick and choose if he provided results. 

"Levi will also be responsible for your on-base training and supervision. Same rules apply everywhere else." Erwin said casually, waving his left hand loosely, knowing Levi would properly introduce him to fully-fledged military life. Which he did. Every minute detail was provided in a thick manual, most of it the same information as the one he'd already received, accompanied with a simple instruction. 

"Here's some toilet reading for ya.'" Levi had said with a completely serious face as he slapped the manual down in front of Eren who looked at it, then back up to his superior. At first Eren had found Levi's social charms (or lack thereof,) unnerving, since he couldn't read him. Now he just understood the man wasn't necessarily the greatest with words, so found his demeanor mildly amusing, understanding nonetheless. 

Eren lugged his duffle bag into his new room of bunks, fortunately all of which were single beds like he'd had in Levi's quarters, and set the bag down on the foot of the bed at the nearest end to the door. 

"So Eren." Levi said and Eren turned to face him with a huge grin. 

"Welcome to the Scouting Regiment." Levi said with only the faintest of smiles, clearly proud of Eren for coming so far in such a short time. Eren saluted earnestly and Levi nodded at him.

"Want to meet your squad?" 

Eren grinned wider. 

"Hell yes!" 

"What was that?" Levi asked, narrowing his eyes seriously, glaring at Eren. 

"Yes, Sir!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're enjoying this, leave comments/kudos or check out my other works!  
> Thanks for all the support! :D


	21. Onwards

"Alright!" Connie yelled, throwing a fist up into the air as more now-colleagues joined him in the Survey Corps training quad beside the officers building. Eren and Jean had arrived together since now Eren was free of Levi's one-on-one supervision and Ymir arrived alongside Christa and Marco.

"Hey Eren," Christa greeted warmly while Ymir was distracted with a bit of banter with Jean and Marco. 

"Hi Christa. I'm glad you made the cut, congrats on your results, too!" Eren replied with a huge smile, lighting his entire face up. Christa smiled coyly and tucked her hair behind her ear. 

"And to you too. Top of the class, too!" 

"I wasn't top." Eren shrugged. 

"You still beat the rest of us." Christa said with a smile, Eren just rolled his eyes. 

"It's a team thing. Individual performance is only really going to matter if I get separated from the group." Eren tried reasoning, his tone a little salty, giving Christa not much else to respond with. She just smiled a little awkwardly and Eren watched as Levi slowly made his way out of the officer's building with Armin. 

"Are you excited to start?" Christa asked, standing beside Eren, nudging him with her arm a little. Eren turned to look down at her.

"Not excited, but ready." Eren said with another lifeless shrug. "Sorry I, I guess my mind is a little pre-occupied with having to, you know..." 

"Go back out to the jungle?" 

"Not so much that, the jungle is fine. It's what lives in it. Those damned Titans." Eren spat, turning his attention to the shorter pair of men walking and talking as they approached across the training quad. 

"Must be tough... I mean, your whole situation. I'm sorry that happened to you, by the way," Christa said, leaning up to Eren's side so she could lower her voice whilst still being audible above Ymir and Jean's loud voices that we're currently tearing Marco a new one. The freckled man took everything under his stride and simply smiled everything off. He was a great soldier, really. Very humble for his age and middle-classed upbringing. 

"Don't be sorry. They chose the wrong kid to kidnap." Eren said with a firm tone, teeth practically grit and lips thinned into a sharp line. Christa regarded him with a sidelong, worried glance. Despite his somewhat prickled demeanor at the Titan's mention and his attempts to kill any conversation, Christa couldn't bring herself to not be concerned. 

"Well, you know we're all here for you." She said, leaving it at that. Eren kept his steely disposition going as Levi finally approached, pulling his hood up as the heavens opened up on them all. 

"Alright, get into formation!" Levi called out over the excited heads nattering to each other like schoolgirls. Everyone straightened up and gave their most heartfelt salutes as Levi eyed them up and down, reprimanding them for untucked shirts, unpolished boots and scruffy hair. Even in the torrential rain. 

"Horseface, tuck that shirt in, Baldilocks, would you go to a funeral looking like that? Freckles, straighten your posture. Blondie..." Levi observed as both Armin and Christa looked up at him. He addressed his answer to both. "Hair back. Eren..." Levi looked the young man up and down before barely nodding, curtly. Jean bristled and raised a hand.

"Sir!" 

"What is it Horseface?" Levi asked, approaching the blond with the undercut. 

"Why is it Eren doesn't have a nickname, Sir?" He asked. Levi looked down the line of soldiers at Eren and then back.

"He asked to be called by his name." Jean blinked a little in confusion, as if questioning the simplicity of his response. 

"Sir, may I also-" 

"We ain't got time for your neighing, pipe down for now." Levi interrupted him and a few of the other soldiers snickered as Jean glowered. Levi shot him a subtle smirk and winked at him. Jean furrowed his brows and continued to frown. 

"Alright, we've got orders and deploy in under two weeks. I've effectively got one week to turn you greenhorn recruits into elite soldiers." Levi announced dryly. "As much as I know you want to celebrate passing your shitty exams, time for partying is over and we've got work to do." 

With that, Levi sprung them all straight into action using a training regime similar to that of Erwin's to get Eren up to scratch quickly. Fortunately for Eren he was already accustomed to the pace whereas it took the other soldiers a day or two to get used to it. They were scheduled to have one rest day before they deployed, Eren's usual Sunday, and once the team had finished their training in the quad one day, the young man approached his superior. 

"Sir?" 

"What?" Came the curt reply. Eren was also accustomed to this, so it brushed past him like water off a duck's back. Eren lowered his voice and ensured no one was around to overhear. 

"What are your plans for your day off?" Levi perked an eyebrow. 

"Weren't you visiting your dad and four-eyes before we leave?" Levi inquired, ignoring the question posed to him. 

"I am, but I won't be there all day and I was kinda hoping to get a haircut before we leave." 

Levi hummed lowly, looking at nothing in particular on the ground beside Eren as he seemed to think. Eren briefly wondered if he was keeping his facade up or if he had genuinely lost interest in their extra-curricular activities. He hoped for the former. Prayed even. Nervously awaiting the Captain's response, Eren rubbed his neck, fingers tracing lightly over the indent on the nape created by his collar. 

"Hmm. I guess I could use one too." Levi said with a shrug before turning and leaving Eren with a huge smile on his face which he quickly reigned in and turned to run after the other recruits who had headed for the mess hall. 

Levi had ordered his squad mobile handsets so that they were contactable at any time by phone or email and Connie spent most of his down-time in the squad dorm playing on the games it had installed by default. Sasha would berate him for draining the battery with it, chastising him for suggesting he play his game while out on the field.

"Yeah well, what if you need to contact someone?" Sasha probed. Connie shrugged. 

"It's not like you get signal out there." Eren said. Sasha looked shocked. 

"You're siding with him?" Sasha pointed at Eren. 

"Bro's before Ho's," Connie laughed out and high-fived Eren as he got up to head back to his bunk. Sasha just smacked Connie around the side of his head, earning more of a petty argument between the two. Eren spent a fair amount of his down-time resting and trying his best to mentally prepare himself for combat, eight years following the death of his mother to the Titans. He was nervous, sure, but he also couldn't wait. 

He found himself lying on his bunk listening to Marco and Ymir arguing with Jean about there being pubes everywhere in the showers, when his phone buzzed beside him. He leant over and picked it up, looking at the meeting request in his calendar. 

From: Levi  
Subject: Tactics meeting tomorrow morning 6am ESO

Eren noticed that Levi, Erwin and himself were the only attendees invited to this meeting and accepted the request and rolled over in his bed to get to sleep. The following morning he got himself ready, bed made, showered and the likes and let the squad know he had a meeting with the brass in Erwin's office. They waved him off and he made his way across the large training courtyard in the cool morning fog toward the officer's building. 

The military complex was an eerie place this early in the morning, the fog thick and impenetrable, the wildlife still sleeping and dormant before the sun rose to wake everything from it's slumber. He let himself into the building and followed familiar narrow wood-paneled hallways before ending up at Erwin's office where the two men had already grouped with tea. Invited in and taking a seat, along with a cup of tea, Eren greeted his superiors and Erwin smiled at him. 

"Good morning Eren." 

"Sir." 

"Right, I think Levi wants a separate meeting with you afterwards so I'll keep this brief. I need your input for the upcoming mission, Eren." Erwin said coolly. Eren furrowed his brows in mild confusion but nodded along nonetheless. He would help however he could, if at all. Erwin spread a map out across his large desk and Eren recognized it as the large body of jungle north of the estuary and the city. It was a satellite map printed in black and white, so the whole thing just looked like a mass of treetops, barely any ground visible aside from mountain peaks and ridges. Most of those were blanketed with blocks of dark grey foliage too. 

"I was wondering if you'd be able to help us pinpoint the main compound where you said you were held before traveling to the lab." Erwin said, pointing out a section of the map toward the far side, miles from the city. "This is where Levi's squad found you and Mikasa. Your final destination." Eren leaned over to take a look at the map and much to his surprise it wasn't as far out as he'd thought it would be. Sure enough it was a good five or six mountains away, nestled along the north face of one of the ridges, but it had felt like he'd travelled a farther distance all that time ago. 

"How much distance did we travel per day on the way back? Just roughly?" Eren asked Levi. The man leant over the map with a ruler and made his calculations, running a finger along the twelve-day route they had taken back from the destroyed camp and he provided Eren with the details. Eren looked at the map and analyzed it for a long moment before squinting and shrugging. He wasn't entirely sure of the directions but he knew they had travelled along some of the tallest peaks and the main camp was further north. He clearly recalled being able to see the sea from this particular ridge.

"It's not on here." Eren said, causing the two men to frown softly. 

"How do you know?" Erwin asked slowly. 

"Have you got a non-satellite map? Geographical, with land heights?" Eren asked. He knew the camp was on the opposite side of the tallest mountain he'd ever been on, so having a height scale map of the entire country would prove more beneficial. That is if it existed. A lot of Ragako was unchartered, allowing surveillance only from the sky. Erwin got up and moved around the room to the back, scanning through a collection of long cardboard tubes presumably full of maps and large plans. He pulled a couple out and returned to the desk, popping the lid from a tube and pulling the map out, Levi helping him lay it flat as Eren took in the details. 

The map he had was a survey map as he needed, but he still didn't see any tall enough mountains. 

"Have you got one of the whole country, I think it's just a little further out than this. It was on the back of a really tall mountain. We took a pretty convoluted route to get to that lab but it wasn't too far. A few days hike, I think."

Erwin returned to the back of the room and as he searched for a correct map, Levi offered Eren a very small, very brief smile. Eren smiled back just as Erwin announced he'd possibly found what they were looking for. The map was laid out and Eren evaluated the areas. He couldn't be too sure, since the mountain ranges were so large, covering so much space, but he identified a mountain taller than the rest further north into the country's landscape. 

"I mean I can't be too sure but this has to be the one if this," Eren pointed to the laboratory location, cross referencing against the satellite image to ensure he'd pinpointed the location accurately enough. "...is where we were found, then it has to be this range here." Eren swept a finger across the large expanse of forest roughly three or four days hike north of the area he was found. 

"We were so close." Levi said quietly, clearly a minute bit irritated.

"Yes. Very close." Erwin agreed as he looked at the location, taking note of the co-ordinates. "Thank you Eren. We'll be planning to take this large base out if we can pinpoint it's exact location. We won't be able to do it aerially without exact co-ordinates so that's where your new squad comes in. Levi's last mission was to ensure the area you'd been found was still out of service, but it wasn't." Erwin shared. Eren looked somewhat shocked at the revelation. 

"They're using the same space?"

"Not for exactly the same purpose, but it seems they have been recovering damaged goods and moving it further east. We believe as well as this main base of operations, they have also set up a new lab." 

Eren frowned, their jobs becoming a little more complicated. The further east he'd learnt you went, the deeper the forests grew. Civilization was primarily situated in Ragako's southeast coastal region but the further inland you went the denser the vegetation became. He groaned quietly. 

"So once you have eyes on the main base, your team will then move toward locating this secondary laboratory." 

"Makes sense. Is the main camp going to be bombed? I mean, there are probably more captured women and children living there..." Eren asked carefully, almost preferring not to know for fear of a confirmation. 

"We will decide that later." Erwin said, not giving him the full truth to spare his anxieties. Eren kept his mouth shut but otherwise nodded. Erwin knew what he was doing. Levi trusted him, so he would too. A few more minor details were ironed out and explained to Eren regarding his role in locating the base once they grew closer, hoping he'd recognize the area better than the other soldiers who had never tread foot in those parts of the forest before. He was their best hope to get soldiers into that base and wipe the Titans out, or at least wipe out their main power core, their fields. Their raw materials. The root of their operations. 

Eren couldn't confirm that this was the only place they grew the coca plants, but it was certainly one of the biggest areas, the entire side of the mountain to the bottom being cleared for fields. Hundreds of pounds of leaves left that compound every day. Severing the supply from that camp alone would severely hinder their operations and that was their end goal on their upcoming mission.

It would be hot, wet and miserably humid, but someone had to do it. Eren looked forward to it. 

Once away from Erwin's office and into Levi's, the older man leant against the back of his desk with his arms folded as Eren shut the door behind him. 

"Lock it." Came a low voice behind Eren, making him shiver slightly with anticipation or anxiety, (he wasn't sure,) before doing as he was told. Eren slowly turned on his heels and spotted Levi unfastening his tie, making the younger man visibly gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing as Levi's blue eyes locked onto his own from across the room.

"You just gonna stand there?" Levi said as he unfastened the top button to his shirt, propping himself up to sit on the desk. 

"Uh, Sir?" Eren almost stuttered out. "But we're in... your..." He trailed off when Levi started on a few more buttons, revealing those pale collarbones Eren loved so much. Despite his protests of their location, Eren found his feet moving himself forward toward the Captain. 

"It's not like I'm asking you to fuck me on this desk." Levi drawled with a devilish smirk, making Eren's cheeks, nose and ears flush beet red. The Captain gave a low chuckle and Eren slowly positioned himself about a half a meter away from Levi's knees which had slowly begun to spread to accommodate having a body between them, the sight making Eren's heart rate escalate quickly. 

"I won't bite." Levi said, coaxing Eren hither with a finger. Eren swallowed thickly and obeyed, both nervous and excited at what treatment lay between his superior's thighs. He stood there limp as Levi slowly moved his hands up Eren's well toned arms, draping his hands over his shoulders when Eren leant forward to accommodate their heights. As soon as they were close enough, their lips were pressed against each other's with practiced ease, Eren groaning softly into Levi's mouth as they explored each other's mouths. 

Eren pulled away to ask "why so... Affectionate all of a sudden?" Levi wiped the spit from his lips and leant back on his hands. 

"Unless you haven't noticed, we're deploying into that shitty jungle for at least two months."

"Forgetting that I lived there for years?" Eren teased with a coltish smile, leaning over Levi to resume kissing him, only now on the neck. Levi subtly tilted his head away to grant Eren more access, slinking his own hands around the younger's waist to pull him close. 

"I think you're the one forgetting we're not going to get a moment alone for who knows how long. Besides, you know what the death rate is like." Levi said a little quieter and Eren stopped his delicate ministrations on his superior's bare neck, leaning back up to look at him. 

"You sure know how to kill the mood, don't you." Eren huffed, mirth in his eyes regardless. Levi simply answered by pulling him back down for another deep kiss. They paused against each other as footsteps came and went past Levi's door, panting into each other's faces with heated breaths and flushed lips. Eren felt a small tingle of excitement and fear whenever noises could be heard, his heart rate peaking with each passer-by.

"So uh, do you only want to... you know... with me... just in case either of us...?" Eren meekly asked, clearly referring to their current physical proximity. Levi's eyebrows knitted together as the young man spoke, tilting his head slightly as his lips curled in disagreement. Eren didn't need to finish the sentence to understand that wasn't the case at all. He'd often given sex with Levi thought but didn't possess the courage or confidence to initiate. 

Levi pulled Eren into a hug. "That's not what I meant. I'm just..." Levi grumbled out the last part, Eren missing it entirely. 

"What was that?" Eren said, pulling away to look at the older man. 

"Ugh." Levi groaned. "I've missed you." 

Eren beamed and placed his hands on Levi's cheeks, much to the older man's chagrin. Eren had that 'I'm thinking you're adorable right now' look on his face. Eren placed a quick kiss on Levi's lips. Any fears that had been swimming through Eren's mind regarding how Levi truly felt toward him were pushed to the back of his mind, elating him. 

"Me too." Eren said as he pressed their foreheads together. "Oh, and I don't plan on fucking you on the desk." Levi snorted, having forgotten his own words, having them repeated back to him made him cringe. "I will, when you're ready, make love to you though." Eren said with an awfully cheesy grin on his face. Levi looked up at him in disbelief and would have laughed if it weren't for how damn serious Eren looked, mixed in with a little underlying anxiety as he awaited Levi's reaction.

Levi responded in the only way he knew how, with action, pulling Eren back over him and forcing his way into his mouth once more. Eren responded in kind, his hands slipping beneath Levi's open shirt and dancing his fingers across his muscular back and sides, causing shivers to run up his spine. They must have writhed against each other for another good solid five minutes before they stilled upon hearing footsteps again in the narrow corridor. 

"This is such a fucking awful idea." Levi whispered to Eren, who held back a laugh, grinning broadly. 

"Yeah, not exactly the location in which I thought I'd lose my virginity." Eren snickered, a faint blush on his cheeks. Levi rolled his eyes. 

"Well, as much as I'd love to get this over and done with on my desk... This thing is fucking uncomfortable." Levi admitted, his arms still draped around Eren's neck as the young man was still pressed up against him, practically lying on top of him. 

"Yeah, heh. I have training too. I think people would wonder where I went..." Eren said quietly as the footsteps were still passing through the halls behind the door. 

"I could always cover for us..." Levi suggested, twirling his fingers through the hair on Eren's nape, his own a complete mess by now. Eren regarded him with a soft smile and both men understood that despite the heat in the moment, neither of them wanted to do this here. Both had more or less overcome their fears of intimacy with another, completely ready to take that step, however the timing was wrong. 

"You said we have a day off before we deploy?" Eren asked as he pushed himself up, Levi's grip on his neck not loosening and thus forcing him to stand up with him attached, pulling him into a seated position on his desk. Levi nodded.

Slowly Levi's arms lowered from Eren's neck as he stood to full height, his arms no longer able to reach. Eren took Levi's hands in his own. 

"And... We're not just doing this because one of us might die on this mission?" Eren asked, this time with more clarity. Levi frowned, although to anyone besides Eren it would have looked like his somewhat more relaxed face furrowing into his normal demeanor, cold and serious. Eren gave his hands a gentle squeeze, which helped a tiny bit in softening Levi's scowl a little bit. He understood why Levi wouldn't answer straight away. He too had felt a strange desperation, a burning need for the other as soon as he'd learnt of their upcoming mission and it's severity. 

"Look, Eren..." Levi started, looking up at him with the same somber, serious look on his face. Eren swallowed thickly as he continued, nervous about what he might say. "I'm fucking awful at talking. I don't have some fancy education and can't string sentences together without a swear word..." Eren laughed softly, keeping hold of Levi's hands and rubbing his thumbs softly against the backs.

"Sure, I don't exactly want to die a fucking virgin but still. If it's gonna be anyone I'd rather it be you." Levi hurried to say, pulling his hands away from Eren's to rub the sweat from his palms onto his trousers. Eren simply grinned at him. 

"So I'm your best bet at getting laid before you die, huh?" Eren teased. 

"Shut it. It's not as if I'm not yours." Levi retorted, the comment warming something in Eren's chest by the way he'd phrased it. He hadn't said he was Eren's best chance at having sex before he died, he'd said he was his. Sure, he may well have been over analyzing but he felt elated either way, his spirits lightened in the midst of a heavy operation ahead.

"So you're mine, huh?" Eren asked, as if to quell the quiet insecurities lingering in the backs of his mind, trying to re-surface. Levi just smacked his cheek lightly and rolled his eyes. 

"I figured that was a given." Levi huffed out, remaining quiet for a moment before adding a low, unconfident "if you'll have me." 

Eren leant over to kiss Levi on the forehead, resting his large hands on the sides of Levi's face as his superior looked up at him. "I figured that was a given." Eren chuckled quietly, still acutely aware of their proximity and the motion outside in the corridor. There seemed to be a growing, mutual understanding that whatever these two men had between them, it couldn't be categorized as simply as naming one another their 'boyfriend'. To Eren and Levi, they were simply Eren and Levi. What they did in their spare time when no one knew was their own business. 

They didn't need pet names, titles or a definition of what their relationship was. It was a relationship and the pair of them were completely content with that for now. The tension between them had begun to relax since Levi had gotten back from his mission and especially in Levi after Eren's birthday. Perhaps the age difference had made Levi wary beforehand, concerned he may be judged by others, or perhaps he was judging himself. 

Either way, stood between Levi's legs as the man sat on his desk, Eren couldn't imagine things to be any different. He was completely happy with how this had turned out and looked forward to whatever was to come. He felt bound to Levi in some strange way and couldn't envision his life without the man in it. He'd been a friend to him when others didn't believe in him. He'd trusted him from the very start when he had no reason to do so, and that was one thing Eren loved about Levi. 

"The fuck are you looking at me like that for?" Levi asked, breaking Eren's train of thought. 

"Like what?" Eren asked, genuinely confused, having lost himself to his thoughts for a moment. 

"All fucking dough-eyed like you're about to ask me to fucking marry you." Levi said with a completely straight face that only served in making Eren laugh and blush all at the same time. 

"And if I was?" 

"If you were what?" 

"Gonna ask you to marry me." 

"Then I'd tell you to shut up." Levi retorted without hesitation, a smirk playing at his lips to match Eren's.

"What if I didn't?" Eren quipped back playfully, making the Captain scrunch his nose up a little, clearly trying to refrain from smiling but in turn making it look as if he'd just smelt something horrible. 

"I'd make you." Levi challenged. 

"How?" Eren drawled in a low rumble, leaning close to the man again, his hands trailing up the sides of Levi's legs to his hips. Levi's arms draped back around Eren's neck again as soon as he was near enough. The look of sheer, undiluted lust and want in Levi's eyes had Eren wanting more, wanting to taste every inch of him, drag his teeth against his unmarred skin, mark him as his own. Just breathing in his scent did primal things to Eren's mind. Things he'd never even imagined himself possible of thinking or considering. Breaking down his inhibitions and insecurities. Without the man actually doing anything other than letting him in. 

"By saying yes." Levi whispered close to Eren's ear, making the youth still and turn a little rigid in Levi's arms. Levi let out a soft laugh as Eren looked like a deer in the headlights before he bombarded Levi's cheeks with light kisses, his hands returning behind the older man's back to hold him close. 

"Ha, fuck, Eren, that tickles!" Levi mumbled out as Eren hunched over the smaller framed man to hug him for a long moment. It was quiet between them for a while before Eren spoke up. 

"I know we can't really get married, but I still want to spend any time I can with you..." 

"Heh, me too, Eren. Me too." 

Eren leant back to return to kissing Levi slowly and just as the two were getting comfortable, they both jumped as a loud knock was heard at the door. They both cursed and scrambled to straighten up, Levi doing his shirt up and straightening his hair as he ordered Eren into his closet at the side of the room as he flicked open his laptop and called the person in. 

The door creaked open after Levi was satisfied that Eren was well hidden and Moblit entered with a few envelopes and report folders from Erwin. 

"Sir." Moblit greeted politely and handed over the documents. Levi thanked him and dismissed him before looking over the documents briefly, getting Moblit to shut the door after himself. As soon as he heard the door click shut, Eren carefully opened the closet and slipped out, grinning sheepishly. 

"I'd better get back to training." 

"Good idea." Levi agreed.

\--- 

Training was tough for the remainder of the week, so when Sunday came Levi and Eren were both physically and mentally relieved to finally have a rest day. They wouldn't be getting proper sleep or rest for about two months while out on their mission so they'd have to make the most of it. Eren had convinced Levi to let him drive and he managed to find his way to his father's house without getting lost. Levi spent most of the car journey sleeping (or at least with his eyes shut and head slumped against his chest), and Eren had to deliberately remind himself to keep his eyes on the road. He definitely didn't take any photos of Levi on his work phone whenever he hit a red light. Definitely not. 

Levi roused when the jeep stopped and he tilted his sunglasses up to take a look at where they were before getting out. Grisha greeted them both warmly and invited them in straight away for tea and breakfast. He'd had a night shift at the infirmary but he was determined to see his son off, especially given the danger of his destination. He had been nothing but supportive of Eren's choices for joining the military but now the time had come for him to leave again, the worry was evident on the man's face whether he was trying to hide it or not. 

"You look tired." Came Eren's greeting. Grisha waved him off and told him to make himself at home but Eren's stubbornness flared up and Grisha ended up being the one making himself comfortable on the sofa as Eren cooked. Levi was sat with one ankle over his knee, sipping his tea as he and Grisha spoke. 

"How long are you guys out for?" 

"If everything goes according to plan then, two months?" Levi shrugged a little. They could finish sooner, they could run into problems and return late, hell, they could all die and never come back like his other team mates. 

"Hmm. Well good luck." Grisha offered as the smell of frying onion and garlic begun to filter into the room along with the noisy crackles of a hot oiled wok. 

"I think it should be fine. As long as we're careful. It's not a difficult mission per se, it's just really fucking far." Levi griped.

"It's a shame they can't air drop you any closer."

"Tell me about it. As it is we're already flying three hours north beforehand. Any closer we'll be heard." Levi grumbled, although he wasn't entirely serious with his moans. He'd get the job done without complaint. 

Grisha just hummed. He couldn't relate to life in the jungle since he'd never really been to the thickest parts. He'd done most of his research when first arriving in Ragako in the smaller pockets of wilderness present on the split estuary land between the rivers and a few lone islands between rivers on the southwestern side of the built up patch of Ragako. 

"Morning all!" Hange chirped as they strolled into the room in their rubber duck printed housecoat and fluffy slippers. Hange wandered over as the men offered greetings and gave Grisha a peck on the cheek before inspecting the teapot on the table.

"Hmm, gonna need something a little stronger than this," Hange mused aloud before disappearing into the kitchen on the hunt for coffee. Eren was almost done with the fried greens mixed with what looked like lots of herbs and some sort of flaked dark fish meat. Hange hummed in approval of the smell as Eren splashed a little soy sauce over it before shaking the wok to coat it all.

"What's cookin', good lookin'?" Hange chirped, earning a smile from the brunet at the stove, currently donning Hange's apron. 

"Oh hey Hange, I didn't know you were home. You hungry? I made more than enough." Eren offered, to which Hange nodded, attempting to pinch half a hot string hopper from the counter. 

"Oi, get your mitts off my hoppers!" Eren exclaimed, playfully although completely meaning it. He made enough for everyone and he didn't want scavengers plucking at the corpse before the animal had died, so to speak. He shooed Hange away who giggled and continued to make a batch of strong coffee. 

Meanwhile, back in the lounge Grisha was quietly expressing his concerns to Eren's superior, asking politely to keep him safe, especially given the recent status of his special operations squad. His concerns were not misplaced, but Levi had faith in his new selection of recruits. They were all within the top ten of their years and with Armin and Eren, their planning and strategic prowess went far beyond the capabilities of his last team, dare he admit. 

"Guys it's done!" Eren called from the kitchen. Hange squealed with delight and the clatter of bowls and cutlery could be heard. Levi offered what final reassurance he could to Eren's father and the pair silently made their way to breakfast. Eren had laid out his fish fried greens with spicy hoppers and some sort of fish sauce based garlic drizzle. Levi practically inhaled his food and Hange just laughed at him. 

"I've never seen Levi so enthusiastic about food before!" 

"That's because they feed us pig slop at the compound and I can't cook for shit." Levi retorted, Hange just snickered and Eren found himself grinning, proud. It was about as close to a public compliment as he would ever get from Levi's mouth. He could tell from the quiet moans of food-induced pleasure that Levi, and the other two for that matter, were genuinely really enjoying their breakfasts.

"Where'd you learn to do this? It's very healthy." Grisha asked. He'd never made anything like this with Eren so he wondered whether it were something he'd learnt out in the jungle. "Did you eat food like this in the jungle?" Eren shook his head and shrugged as he swallowed down another mouthful of chewy greens. 

"Nah I just put together whatever was in the fridge that looked like it needed using. You had a bunch of veg and I fancied fish so just played around I guess." Eren said with a modest shrug and a smile. Levi was exhibiting tunnel vision between himself and his bowl, attention never moving away from the fork and where it was leading. 

"Eren you're gonna take care of these two out there, yeah?" Grisha chuckled but shot Levi a subtle glance as he finished the sentence. Eren blinked and rushed to swallow his current mouthful, nodding. 

"Yeah I'll cook for them if that's what you mean." Everyone laughed aside from Levi who just smiled crookedly, still chewing. 

A little more time passed and Grisha was left to spend the rest of the day with Hange, or sleeping, or whatever it is he does with his spare time. Levi and Eren made their way across town, chatting only idly until they arrived at the familiar barber front. Kenny greeted them both warmly and got Eren into the seat first, ensuring he'd not have to worry about hair in his eyes for the next two months, cutting it a little shorter than normal. 

Levi requested the same treatment, except a little shorter than normal. When Kenny had finished with him Eren was shocked by the difference. He'd shaved around the back and sides and left only a couple of inches around the top, removing all hair from his eyes. He looked completely different. More attractive even, at least in Eren's eyes. Especially as Kenny styled it away from the man's face.

"Not bad if I do say so myself." Kenny commented as he lightly brushed off Levi's shoulders, picking up a mirror to show his nephew the back. Levi nodded in approval as he got up.

"It'll do. Eren, mind if I have a word with Kenny?" Levi asked, suddenly looking up at him. 

"Oh, sure. No problem." Eren said, making his way upstairs. He didn't catch anything from their conversation before disappearing and Levi made sure he was completely out of earshot before speaking. 

When Levi returned upstairs, it was without Kenny. Eren was lying on the sofa in the loft, staring up at the plants on the rafters. He sat up when he heard Levi coming. 

"Where's Kenny?" Eren asked curiously. 

"He's gone out for a bit." Levi said, approaching the sofa and flicking his shoes off, starting to unbutton his shirt. Eren swallowed nervously, eyes raking down any piece of skin given to him, devouring it all.

"When is he getting back?" Eren subconsciously licked his lips, watching as Levi slowly bit his. 

"Late."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found this chappie quite fun to write.  
> I'm agent-2-6 on tumblr and if you enjoyed this, please leave a comment or check out my other works :) 
> 
> Also next week is 100% smut. Just saying. :D


	22. Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut. That's it.

Levi sauntered over toward Eren as he stripped his shirt off and the young man paled as he approached, his throat turning dry. 

"So that means we have the place to ourselves for the rest of the day." Levi added. Eren couldn't deny he felt a twinge in his pants at the sight of Levi stripping as well as the information that they had hours of uninterruptible time with just each other's company. He felt a sudden wave of heat flood over him in aroused anticipation and he swallowed thickly, only to have his free-running mind interrupted as Levi strode straight past him toward the wardrobe opposite the bed. He opened it and left his shirt in the hamper, pulling out a couple of clean towels, throwing one across the room at Eren. 

The towel unfolded mid-air and whapped Eren right in the face, a waterfall of material drenching him. Levi snorted in amusement as he flailed to uncover himself and he shot to his feet, looking at his superior with an intensely confused look on his face and his cheeks flushed pink. It didn't take long for the penny to drop, however, and Eren realised just as soon as Levi said the words. 

"Let's take a shower." 

Nervously, Eren shuffled over to Levi who manoeuvred them both into the small room. The shower unit was a reasonably small corner unit with a rounded door, but if they pressed close enough they'd both fit. Perhaps that was Levi's plan all along. Eren was nervous about this. What if he did something wrong? What if he couldn't please Levi? What if he got bored, or upset, or disappointed by Eren? Eren swallowed thickly as Levi stepped out from his pants, kicking them to the side to be folded later. 

Levi stepped out from his boxers as nonchalantly as he usually would, narrowing his eyes slightly as he glanced up to find Eren still stood opposite him, fiddling with the hem of his Scouting Regiment teeshirt. Levi slowly approached, cautiously testing the waters as he extended his hands, resting them on Eren's wrists to get him to lower his guard a little, running his fingers up Eren's sides under his top. Eren's heart was hammering through his ears and Levi seemed to notice, stepping closer to wrap his arms around the younger man. 

"We don't have to do anything you're not ready for." Levi quietly attempted to hearten him. He still felt anxious regardless of Levi's reassurances, but this was something he desperately wanted, not only for Levi but to prove to himself he could do it. Not in a physical sense, but to push aside any reluctance he had regarding intimacy since his stay with the Titans. The only real male attention he'd received growing up was not one of kindness. He wanted to prove to them that they hadn't damaged his ability to get (intimately) close to someone.

Eren scraped the insides of his lips against his teeth, bracing himself as he attempted to relax into Levi's touch, allowing the man to slowly lift his shirt off over his head, lifting his arms to accommodate. Levi kept his touches soft and gentle, not lingering in one place for too long, brushing over his arms and chest as he slowly kissed down Eren's neck. Eren felt uncomfortable as Levi kissed over the chemical burns over the left side of his chest, but he forced the feeling from his mind as best he could. 

"You are so fucking beautiful..." Levi said quietly, leaning back up to look Eren in the eye, head tilted ever so slightly as he leant in for a kiss which Eren was too keen to grant. The kiss was slow and warm and Eren could hear the trickle of the rain hitting the small window in the bathroom as Levi pecked his lips a few times, his hands resting around Eren's waist, fingertips patiently awaiting permission at the hem of his shorts. 

"You're not half bad yourself..." Eren breathed out awkwardly, trying to sound more confident than he felt. Levi looked at him sternly. 

"I mean it." The look on Levi's face left Eren no room for argument. He would accept the compliment and leave it at that. Eren had no idea what he was doing, hoping Levi would take the lead, despite knowing he was just as inexperienced as himself, so he stood awkwardly still for a long moment as he allowed Levi to undress him. Once the pair were buck naked in front of each other, Levi politely gestured for Eren to get into the shower first and the younger man tilted the shower head toward the wall as he switched it on and he stepped in, Levi sandwiching himself in as he shut the doors behind them both. 

Levi gently guided Eren into position and he tilted the shower head back so he could rinse him down, stretching behind him to rub some shower gel between his hands, rubbing it all over Eren's chest in circles and figure-eights. By now, the soothing feeling of the warm water and Levi's hands against his skin had worked wonders with relaxing him. He begun washing parts of himself but Levi tapped his hands away. Eren couldn't hold back a small smile as Levi focused on cleaning him. 

"Having fun there?" Eren said with a smile as he leaned his shoulders back against the cool tiles, Levi having wrapped his arms around Eren's waist to gently wash his lower back. Levi's only response was to lather the soap on Eren's arse cheeks, earning a surprised squeak from the younger and a chuckle from Levi as he gently squeezed and rubbed the soap into Eren's well toned bum. Their laughter was short lived as Levi pressed himself against Eren, their lengths pressing against each other's bodies at odd angles with the height difference. 

Levi continued rubbing his soapy hands against Eren's firm arms and pec muscles, leaning up to capture his lips again in a hungry kiss. 

"Mmm, I love this new look on you." Levi said with a smirk, giving Eren's muscular arms a gentle squeeze, making the younger man flush slightly at the attention, the tips of his ears burning bright red. Eren lay back against the tiles, breathless as Levi dispensed a little more shower gel into his hands, the pine scent filling both their nostrils as Levi grinned impishly, washing the fronts of Eren's thighs, his hands drawing dangerously close to Eren's crotch as he tried to crouch down. 

"Heh, doesn't Kenny have a bigger shower?" Eren laughed out softly as Levi looked up at him, trying to get onto his knees, precariously crouching onto his heels. Eren pushes the shower head away from between them and the water cascades down the wall opposite to him as Levi slowly and sensually rubs his hands up and down the backs of Eren's legs all the way from his arse to his calves. 

"Yeah but where's the fun in that?" Levi said with a smirk as he spread his legs, getting comfortable on the floor of the shower with a crotch fairly close to his face, the size of the shower not permitting for much personal space. 

"Good point.. Am I clean enough yet?" Eren asked. 

"Not yet." Levi said. 

"You've been pretty thorough." Aside from his groin, Levi had pretty much washed him top to bottom, his scrubbing gentle and soothing. Eren had half expected him to be hard handed, but Levi was remarkably tender when he touched Eren. He didn't feel at all as if he was being babied or tiptoed around, since he knew Levi had no trouble ordering him around and giving him shit during training, pulling him up and embarrassing him in front of his entire squad. In their spare time, alone like they were now, Levi treasured Eren as if he were a rare jewel, which Eren felt every ounce of care and appreciated it tenfold. He vowed to express this to the man at some point. 

Levi interrupted Eren's heartwarming thoughts fairly well with his mouth around the young man's cock. Eren jumped, not having been focusing on what Levi was doing and Levi coughed and his jaw clenched, making Eren yelp out in mildly pained surprise as teeth scraped his semi-erection. Levi leaned straight back and glared up at Eren as the younger shot him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I wasn't-"

"Paying attention now?" Levi asked, taking a hold of the base of Eren's cock once more, lining it up with his mouth and slowly sliding it sideways against his closed lips. Eren bit on his lip and clenched his hands by his sides. 

"Time to clean the rest of you." Levi said before lifting his cock and licking a stripe up the bottom, all the way to the tip before dipping the head into his mouth, tongue dipping beneath Eren's foreskin, lapping up any pre-come. The sight and feel of it left Eren breathless, a hand moving up to his mouth to stifle a moan at the erotic sight on his knees before him. He'd never imagined he'd have a very wet, very naked Captain on his knees before him, his cock in Levi's mouth as he bobbed back and forth slowly and carefully, ensuring he didn't choke himself. 

Even when giving head the Captain was methodical and careful, Eren thought with an amused smile that was quickly wiped from his face as he sucked harshly, quickening in his strokes around the base. Eren felt a strong coil of pleasure building in his gut and he desperately attempted to hold on for as long as possible as Levi's black head of wet hair moved forward and back, his sharp blue eyes piercing up at him, laced with lust. 

Eren had most of his thumb joint in his mouth as he stifled a moan. Levi continued stroking Eren's now very firm arousal as he pulled his lips away. "The house is empty. Let me hear you." Levi said before gently lapping at the tip again, purposefully slowing his hand movements as he used his other hand to massage his balls. 

"Hggn, that's.. ah, Levi-" Eren was interrupted by another muffled moan. "That's embarrassing though!" Eren managed to pant out as Levi hummed around his length, almost turning Eren's legs into jelly. Levi pulled off again, aware of how close Eren was to orgasm. Eren's cheeks and neck had flushed bright red and Levi would be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit pleased with himself for turning Eren into a panting mess just from sucking him off. 

"You'll have to tell me how clean you are." Levi said, confusing Eren at first with the lack of contact since he was so close, but soon caught on. He attempted to speak up, but the only things that escaped his lips were grunts and quiet whimpers as Levi teased him, licking and nipping gently at the tip of his aching cock. The pleasure had wrapped itself around his mind like a haze, blurring his senses into only one sensation: Heat. 

"Ah, Levi. I'm still f-filthy." Eren said, quietly at first but as soon as Levi looked up at him with an absolute burning look of desire in his eyes, Eren spoke a little clearer.

"Make sure, haa, make sure you clean all of it." Eren encouraged his superior, who was more than happy to oblige, his mouth resuming it's assault, swirling his tongue around Eren's length as his hand pumped the base, his free hand reaching around to grope at the young man's lovely bum cheek, making him whine with need and pant heavily, his chest and neck now peppered pink with re-directed blood flow and small hickeys. Eren clenched his eyes shut as he felt his orgasm build to it's peak and just before it hit, Levi removed his mouth from Eren's cock and quickly stroked him to completion. 

Eren heard his name being rasped deeply from below him, so he blinked down just at the right moment to get a first class view of himself ejaculating right onto Levi's tongue as the man held Eren's arse, pumping out the remainder of his orgasm and directing his cum onto his tongue and lips. The sight alone had to be the single most dirty, erotic thing Eren had seen in his entire life. He'd never even imagined Levi doing something like this. All the while Levi didn't break his eye contact with Eren once and honestly, Eren felt like the only person in Levi's world in that moment, which was fairly accurate to the truth Levi was experiencing. 

"Holy shit, Levi." Eren heaved out breathlessly as Levi wrapped his strong arms around Eren's thighs, propping him against the wall as his legs turned weak for a brief moment, shaking at the knees until he recovered a few moments later. Levi knelt up a little to be able to kiss Eren's hip bones. Eren's hands found their way to Levi's hair and to Levi's surprise he smelt shampoo. He looked up and Eren just smiled down at him stupidly, his euphoria still lingering a little as he gently scrubbed the suds into Levi's now significantly shorter hair. Levi stood, keeping his hands on Eren the entire way up. 

"I like it shorter." Eren said with a smile. Levi hummed in response, leaning against the taller man as Eren moved the shower head over to carefully rinse the shampoo, his own touches a little firmer than the older man's. The pair exchanged occasional slow kisses and Eren even cracked a few awful jokes as he washed Levi, revelling in how the man allowed him access to his entire body. Levi's own erection didn't go missed by Eren who ground his hips against the older man's crotch, making him shudder and gasp quietly as he rubbed soap onto his back. 

"Tell me what to do?" Eren asked nervously as he took a hesitant, albeit gentle grip of Levi's manhood. Levi simply nodded and kept his hands on Eren's shoulders as he gently stroked him. Eren couldn't tear his eyes away from Levi's face which was furrowed into what could only have been pleasure, his brows knitted and mouth hung open, small, breathless pants escaping his thin lips. 

"That's, fuck, keep doing that." Levi said in a hurry, now his turn to lean back against the tiles as Eren worked his hand up and down the slick member in his grasp. Levi never imagined himself to be so expressive and bare, but he surprised himself for the sake of reassuring Eren. After all, it did feel amazing. What felt even more amazing, as demonstrated by the involuntary hitch in Levi's breath, was when Eren too began to crouch down, clearly intent on returning the favour. 

Eren apparently misjudged the narrow size of the shower, because as he went to kneel down, his bare arse hit the tiles behind him and he fell forward, head butting the Captain right in the crotch. A few curse words and a smack around the head later, Eren was apologising profusely, unable to contain his laughter as Levi glared at him. Further spreading his apology, Eren slinked his arms around Levi's legs and proceeded to return the gesture, getting his first taste of a cock in his mouth. 

It was a little salty, bitter even, but it wasn't unpleasant per se. He just wasn't used to it, it was new. What was uncomfortable however was whenever he pushed himself forward and Levi's cock hit the back of his throat, causing him to choke. Since his stay in the kennels and subsequent squalor in the jungle environment where things decayed quickly, his gag reflex was more or less non-existent to match his iron stomach. Levi tenderly stroked his hair as Eren placed his hands on Levi's hips to keep him still while he focused on sucking and licking, trying his best to imitate what Levi had done to him before. 

Judging by the pants and groans from Levi above him, he must have been doing something right, because before he could ask for feedback, Eren felt the organ in his hand pulsate, the veins straining and bulging before he felt a hot spurt at the back of his tongue. Instinctually he pulled off, but Levi soon got him to keep moving at least his hand, keeping his own hand over Eren's as he rode out his orgasm, hand still gripping onto Eren's wet hair. 

Once Levi's grip on Eren had loosened, he looked down at Eren with a dazed look on his face and semen dribbling down his lover's chest. It didn't bother Eren, they were in the shower anyway. Eren slowly stood, being careful to mind Levi's spent and sensitive cock and Levi pulled him straight into a kiss, having to adjust only minimally to account for Eren's height as he straightened his back. They shared a long, slow kiss which was interrupted by Levi pulling the shower nozzle back over them. 

"I've been dying to do this..." Levi said breathlessly as he guided Eren's hand slowly to his arse, earning a perplexed look from the younger as he encouraged Eren to have free roam, pressing his fingers between his buttocks on his behalf, hoping he'd get the idea. Eren swallowed, making his Adam's apple bob and he turned whiter than a sheet as he tugged his hand away nervously. Levi was offering to bottom. 

"Levi?" Eren mumbled, almost wincing. Levi took as far of a step back as he could given the confines of the shower. 

"What is it?" Levi was concerned, Eren could tell. 

"I uh... I don't want to hurt you?" Eren was unsure. He'd spent a tiny bit of time researching on the Internet between chats with Mikasa, the mechanics of gay sex, but he still felt stripped of confidence now he was finally in the situation. 

"I don't exactly know which would be easier for you. I guess I assumed you'd top?" Levi said with an easy shrug. It reassured Eren knowing Levi wasn't particularly fussed which way they went about it. He felt as if Levi would take things however Eren would allow and he'd spent much effort in expressing exactly that to Eren. 

Eren bit his lip and grimaced. Levi leant up on his toes to kiss him sweetly, pulling him away from his uneasy thoughts of insecurity. He looked down at Levi who regarded him with a soft expression. He finally mustered up the words and opened his mouth. Levi didn't attempt to interrupt, other than rubbing soothing circles along his sides. 

"Can you top first? I don't want to get it wrong." 

"Are you sure? I'll need to prepare you." 

"Y-yeah." Eren said with only a sliver of hesitation, surprising even himself with his surge of confidence. "I'm sure." 

"We'll take it really slow, yeah? Tell me if anything hurts straight away." Levi said quietly, adjusting the shower head, the water now turning cool as he quickly rinsed them both off before they got out. Eren hummed in agreement and Levi shuffled through his bathroom cabinet after drying off quickly while Eren continued towelling himself. 

"Have you taken a shit today?" Levi asked. Eren's cheeks heated up a little but he shook his head.

"I reckon I could take one now." 

"Only when you're ready." Levi added. Eren couldn't deny he was nervous about the hygiene, but as if reading his mind, Levi re-emerged from the cabinet with a small clear plastic, bulb shaped pump object, placing it on the counter beside the toilet. 

"I've got condoms but if you want to feel cleaner, use this. Fill it with warm water and... yeah. It's disposable so just toss it when you're done." Levi said with only a trace of tension. He moved to leave the room and Eren just nodded at him, staring at the small foreign object and giving it a squeeze, realising it was a small water pump he'd have to stick up his arse. Clever idea, so he'd do his business and get clean. 

Once he re-emerged some time later with a towel around his waist and a strange feeling in his rear he found Levi sat in the middle of the old sofa, fresh underwear on and his towel draped over his hair as he clipped his fingernails over the bin from under the desk. With a small file set beside him he smoothed out any ridges once finished and Eren carefully and slowly stepped up onto the sofa and sat behind Levi, wrapping his arms around his waist as he continued. 

"It's never too late to say no." Levi said. 

"I want to do this." Eren said firmly. 

"I just want you to-" 

"Levi. Shh." Eren lightly reprimanded him. "You're not upsetting me. You're not a Titan and I'll never see you as one. I feel safe with you. Trust me when I say I want to do this." Eren felt Levi still his filing. "I want this. I want you." 

Levi was quiet for a moment before he resumed his filing, being careful to smooth them out as much as possible. Eren laid his chin on Levi's shoulder and lazily watched. 

"All clean?" Levi asked as he finished his nails, seemingly satisfied with their short length. He didn't want to hurt Eren so took the necessary preparations. He'd been expecting to bottom today, so he'd not thought of trimming his nails. Eren often nibbled at his own, much to Levi's distaste, so he knew they would be short anyway. 

"As a whistle." 

"Good." Levi said, nudging the bin away with his foot and leaning back against Eren's chest. Eren smiled warmly at the gesture and moved his arms from Levi's waist and draped them over his shoulders and down his chest. Levi gently held his wrists and the pair just lay there for a while before either spoke up again, enjoying the warmth and the intimacy. 

"We don't have to go at it straight away..." 

"Backing out so soon?" Eren teased, partly dreading the reply to be a yes. Levi sat forward and stood, turning to look at Eren with his arms crossed and blue eyes narrowed into a challenging glare. Eren gulped and started to shrink away, expecting Levi to reprimand him for being an idiot. All the man did was gently push Eren's wet hair away from his face and lean over to kiss his forehead before going about his business. 

"Where are you going?" 

"Just to get a drink. Want anything aside from water?" 

"Nah, water's good. Thanks." 

"Alright, be right back." 

Upon Levi's return, his short interlude being his own technique for handling his well maintained nerves (which internally, were screaming), Eren was laid out on the bed. The bath sheet he'd had around his waist still loosely clinging to his hips. He didn't bother getting up as Levi placed the waters on the bedside table, looking him up and down with a tense jaw. 

"I won't bite... Unless you ask me to." Eren delivered smoothly, helping to alleviate some of Levi's worries. He climbed onto the bed at Eren's feet and the younger man shifted his heels beside Levi's knees.

"Gorgeous," was all Levi had to say in response, reigniting a fire somewhere within his lover, who blushed at the word, his knees slowly falling to the side as Levi leant forward to loom above him, peppering his bare stomach, chest and finally his neck with light kisses as he worked his way up. Levi trailed his fingers up Eren's side, teasing and purposefully slow in an attempt at foreplay and Eren jerked and burst out into a high pitched laugh. 

Clapping a hand over his mouth immediately but unable to shed the mirth from his eyes from where Levi's touches had tickled him, Eren looked down at Levi with an apologetic look. He couldn't help that he was ticklish in certain spots but he was aware laughing at Levi's advances may come across as rude. 

"Haa, sorry Levi it-" Eren was interrupted as Levi went for the same spot again with a menacing grin on his face, trailing his blunt fingernails over the sensitive area of skin he'd discovered along Eren's ribs. Eren burst into laughter again and jerked away from his touch. "Levi! Stop it tickles!" Levi just chuckled softly as Eren tried to get him to stop, placing his hands over Levi's and pushing. Levi interlocked their fingers and pressed Eren's hands to the bed beside his head as he leant down for a soft, sensual, close mouthed kiss. 

Eren smiled against Levi's lips and couldn't help but feel elated. He felt wanted, desired and loved by Levi who was treating him like gold with every slow touch, kiss and caress. The feeling made his chest feel heavy and light all at the same time, increased his heart rate and gave him the most intense sensation of butterflies in his stomach. He couldn't wait to experience more, so long as it was with Levi. 

The younger of the two expressed his growing impatience (and arousal) by rocking his hips upward against Levi's thigh, the pair's kisses growing much more heated the longer they lay there.

"Haa, I've thought about doing this with you..." Eren breathed out between kisses and quietly groaned as Levi lowered himself to suck marks along Eren's collarbones until he was laving his tongue against one nipple, fingers flicking and pinching the other one as Eren rocked his hips upward in small movements. 

"Oh?" Levi purred, looking up Eren's chest at the brunet who's fingers were now curling into the sheets as Levi shifted his hand, palming his crotch through the two layers of towel still wrapped around his waist. "...and what were we doing, in your imagination?" 

Eren threw his hands above his head and clung to the pillow there, wedging it beneath his neck so he could get a better look at the dark haired man sprawled across his half naked body. 

"It's hard to say..." Eren said with a surprising amount of confidence, surprising himself, making Levi smile. "There's been so many I can't recall specifics." 

"Dirty boy," Levi drawled with an impish grin, raking his hand from Eren's crotch, up across Eren's shoulder and chest before running it back down, this time underneath the layers of fabric, making Eren's breath hitch and a quiet whimper escape his lips, making Levi smile wider. 

"Yeah, I had this one where I was in that holding cell..." Eren began. Whether Levi knew or not he didn't say, sparing Eren the embarrassment for the time being. He'd have to come clean eventually about having heard about this episode, but now was not the moment. He simply responded with, "Oh?" as he teasingly traced his fingers around the soft skin on Eren's thighs, deliberately avoiding his growing erection. 

"Mm, I'd imagined it were you touching me. Anywhere I wanted you to." Eren said, his confidence only wavering a little toward the end as he fudged the truth a little, earning a low growl from the older man and a slow lick of his nipple, followed by a sharp coolness as Levi blew on it, coaxing the pink, slightly scarred nub into full hardness. 

"I'm sure we can make the fantasy a reality." Levi suggested quietly, finally taking hold of Eren's erection and languidly stroking as he stretched up to steal another deep kiss. Eren writhed slowly beneath Levi's touches until the stimulation drew out for too long, Eren's body craving for something more, something faster or firmer or harder. Anything but these painfully tantalising, teasingly slow touches.

"So what will it be?"

"Anything, just stop teasing me already!" Eren whined, his senses all over the place.

"Alright then." Levi announced flatly, shifting off the brunet and retrieving a bottle from the nightstand he'd placed there earlier. "Shall we prepare?" He asked. Eren just nodded briskly. "Let me know if-" 

"Yeah yeah, uncomfortable, pain, got it. I trust you." Eren muttered out, frustration creeping in which made Levi smile at him, only making him more impatient. Levi was quick to shed the towel from around Eren's waist, leaving it spread across the bed. Hopefully it would keep his sheets a little cleaner. Or at least clean enough to not have to change them straight away. They were clean on recently, after all. 

Levi began the process of teasing Eren's entrance, making sure he was entirely comfortable with the intrusion, before filling him with a generous squirt or two of lubricant before starting out with one finger, asking Eren if he was okay at every step along the way. During the process of working his way up to three fingers, loosening up the tight muscles, Eren didn't make a peep, nor were there any tears. Sure, both of their erections were flagging a little in the long twenty minutes Levi spent preparing Eren's entrance, but they would both be thankful for their patience as Eren relaxed more and more, something which would make the experience more pleasurable for the both of them in the long run. 

"Everything alright down there?" Levi asked with a hint of amusement in his voice as Eren rolled his eyes. Any snide remark Eren was about to make was choked out of him as Levi's fingertips brushed against something foreign. 

"Ah! Fuck!" Eren's hips jerked and Levi's fingers stilled only until Eren immediately demanded he keep going. "Ha, t-there! Right there!" Eren ordered as Levi experimented a little, trying to grasp what the area within his lover felt like. Much like a tight little ball of cartilage, or a small lump, Levi brushed his longest, middle finger against the spot and Eren squirmed again, crying out louder than he'd clearly intended, slapping his hand back against his mouth, looking surprised. 

"Like that, huh?" Levi asked with a smirk as he prodded the area a few more times.

"I'm ready." Eren hurried out, breaths turning ragged as Levi brushed his prostate. He needed Levi now, else he'd be too sensitive for too long to wait after his second harsh spend. Levi had a way of milking him dry. He didn't understand how it worked but with Levi he'd come harder and sooner than he ever could with just his own hand. It was exhilarating and a little bit scary just how much the man meant to Eren and the power he held over his emotions. Especially given their dangerous vocation, he feared losing whatever this was between them now, through death or otherwise. 

He felt worried for a moment as to whether Levi would be angry if he came too fast, or if they both didn't come, or one didn't or similar, petty things swirled through his mind. Did Levi mind his pubic hair? Should he have shaved? What's the protocol for this sort of thing? _Is_ there a protocol for this sort of thing? They should issue manuals for this sort of thing! Eren worried at his lip as he returned his attention to Levi, who had stretched over him to retrieve a packet from the nightstand. 

Levi tentatively re-adjusted and took a short moment to slip a condom on, pinching out the air from the top as he rolled it down to the base. Eren watched the movement with alert eyes, pupils dilated leaving nothing but a sliver of green colour around their edges. Levi had made a significant, methodical dent in the elasticity of Eren's backside, so he felt ready to begin and not fear hurting him. 

It took a little adjusting and a pillow beneath Eren's hips as they worked out which position best suited them. They eventually settled for Levi on his knees, sat on his heels with Eren's legs wrapped around his waist as Levi slowly bottomed out, scanning Eren's face for discomfort which never appeared. Sure, he furrowed his brows a little but it was no different to his own scowl as he pushed through the tight heat, trying to regulate his breathing. 

"Shit, it's tight." Levi said and Eren huffed out a breathless laugh.

"No shit." 

"Nope, can't feel any." Levi laughed back, earning an unimpressed although playful glare from Eren who soon snickered along. Eren gripped onto Levi's shoulders and leant up to gently kiss him, only managing to capture his top lip as his mouth hung open. He took a moment to get used to the strange, full feeling and didn't hold back in explaining to Levi that it wasn't horrifically painful, it was just odd. New odd. 

Once they were both used to the feeling and had a good laugh about Levi's inappropriate moments for shit jokes to ease his nerves of messing up, Levi started to rock his hips into Eren at a slowly increasing pace. Eren grasped at the sheets, his pillow, gnawed on the back of his hand, drew his hands across Levi's back and sides, anything to cope with the pleasure wracking his body once the tight uncomfortableness had passed and he grew accustomed to Levi's size, leaving nothing but pleasure in it's wake.

Levi on the other hand had completely surprised Eren by grunting and moaning louder than he'd ever expressed in daily conversation. The man was pretty quiet usually, reserving his words for those choice few or snarky comebacks but he was panting and cursing as if he were nearing the end of a rigorous workout or spar. 

"Ha, mmh, fuck Eren, fuck!" Levi begun slamming harder into Eren as the younger clung to his back, quiet gurgled groans and moans escaping his own lips. 

"More to the left," Eren managed to get out between thrusts. Levi complied, just scraping past his prostate, making Eren squirm. "My left! My left!" He cried out and Levi chortled, desperate for that blinding white pleasure to burn away at the back of his mind, blurring his vision. This very feeling was granted and Eren all but yelled at Levi to keep going in that one spot. Specks of sweat or water, neither men could tell the difference, dripped from Levi's hair and skin, mixing in with Eren's light sheen coating his own heated flesh. 

Eren felt his face scrunch up and his senses cloud over as the tightly wound coil in his lower abdomen finally snapped and released, sending bolts of heat up his spine and into the back of his head, accompanied by a hot, sticky feeling peppering his and Levi's stomachs. Levi thrust in as deep as he would go and eventually stilled after a few more erratic thrusts, presumably climaxing too. Eren committed the look on his face to memory, eyebrows knitted together in pure euphoria. 

Euphoria created by him and him alone. 

Eren wouldn't be able to regret this choice if he was paid to. Levi slumped over his chest, resting his sticky forehead against Eren's chest before leaning up to kiss him. Their kiss was brief as Levi sat back to pull himself free of the tightening muscles demanding for the intrusion to exit. Both men gasped as Levi felt the constriction free from his sensitive cock and Eren at the loss of that full feeling. Condom tied and disposed of and towel draped back over Eren's lap to clean up the cum before it dried, Levi wiped him off and threw himself beside Eren on the bed, curling up to his side. 

"You have to try that." Levi said with a short huff of laughter, spending his final piece of energy. Eren hummed in agreement and smiled slightly as his eyelids closed. 

They must have both fallen into a light sleep as Eren woke later to the sound of heavy rain outside with a firm, muscular weight curled up beside him, an arm draped over his chest and a leg flung over both of his own. Levi was an adorably clingy sleeper after sex, Eren mused with a tired smile. Another little nugget he would store permanently in his memory banks. 

"Mmm.. Five more minutes." Levi mumbled, his voice thick with sleep as he dug his face into Eren's arm. 

"I'm kinda cold." Eren said plainly. He'd rather cuddle under the blankets. Cleaned off, too. "Wanna take a bath and then watch a movie maybe?" He suggested. Levi didn't respond, only cuddling up against him tighter. Eren had to force himself up to re-adjust the sheets and pull a blanket over them both and as soon as they were beneath the covers, warm and wrapped up in each other's limbs, they fell into a comfortable slumber. 

The sound of heavy rainfall and thunder awoke them both later in the afternoon, following a couple of hours of heavy sleep. Levi's usual dark circles beneath his eyes were lightened somewhat by the nap and he appeared somewhat more youthful than normal. It was true he looked older when he was tired, it was just a shame about his inability to sleep restfully often. 

Eren kissed his forehead and shuffled out of bed, taking a long drink from the glass of water Levi had retrieved earlier and passed Levi's his as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. 

It wasn't long following their hot bath before they were both pressed against each other, innocent kisses having turned heated in a matter of moments, this time Levi insisting Eren top. Eren couldn't decline such a needy request, but he did find his hands shaking a little as he begun the process of preparing Levi once he'd returned from the bathroom. 

He felt his heart racing and his fingers trembled as he slowly moved his fingers in and out, Levi's face scrunched up in discomfort but refusing to allow Eren to halt his ministrations. Eren forced himself to stop once Levi wiped a couple of tears away from his eyes and Levi just grunted at him and pulled him down for a ravenous kiss. 

"Don't you dare fucking stop now." Levi warned and Eren complied, continuing to scissor his Captain looser and looser. With Eren's concerns for getting it right and not hurting his lover, mixed with said lover's impatience to just 'be fucked already', Eren found himself pushing into a heat tighter than he'd ever hold around himself willingly. Levi's face scrunched up and his muscles tensed around Eren, causing him to cry out against his lips as they shared another bout of sloppy face licks in an attempt to kiss. 

Languid groans and various curse words spewed out as the pair grew accustomed to the feelings, reverse from what they'd just experienced as Eren managed to push all the way in. Eren was much longer than Levi so Levi found Eren brushing up against that sweet spot way before he bottomed out, legs wrapped tightly around Eren's hips and ordering him to move. 

"Holy shit!," Levi all but shouted as Eren thrust straight into his prostate, practically making the man see stars. Levi demanded he thrust a mixture of 'harder', 'faster' and 'deeper', egging Eren on to do exactly that. A while later with a room full of fogged windows and two lifeless lumps on the bed, Eren and Levi fell asleep again, this time with Eren's bare arse sticking up into the air without a care in the world and Levi completely passed out beneath his weight. 

They could afford to relax in bed for the remainder of the evening, but unfortunately no longer than that, since they had a mission to deploy for in mere days and had to return to the complex the next morning. As they curled up beside each other Levi quietly mumbled into Eren's ear, making him smile broadly and cuddle closer to him, pulling the sheets up a little and smiling to himself, his mood elated drastically with the words. 

"I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm running behind schedule! Next week's should be on time for Saturday but I'm not sure yet about the following week, we'll see how it goes! 
> 
> Thanks for all the love y'all! 
> 
> (Also can you believe it, we're on week 22 of consecutive updates without a buffer. Go me.)


	23. Calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have officially run out of buffer! What does this mean? I'll be posting as and when a chapter is ready.  
> I will try to make it absolutely no longer than two weeks between updates and I'll probably keep it to Saturdays :) 
> 
> Either hit the little subscribe button and receive an email when I update, or follow the tumblr tag: ' Fic: Effects of Venom' where I post updates, previews, etc. [(Here's my Tumblr link)](http://agent-2-6.tumblr.com)
> 
> I wasn't entirely happy with this chapter but at least the final arc of the story starts so I suppose I'm glad for that. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

"What's this one from?" Levi asked, propped up on an elbow and draped half across his younger lover's waist, fingers lightly caressing a thin white scar across his stomach. Eren raised his eyebrows and looked down at his abdomen as Levi gently ran his hands across the marred, dark skin. 

"I was moving a metal barrel and it had a sharp lip. Cut straight through my shirt as soon as I lifted it." Eren explained quietly, gently stroking Levi's hair as the man laid atop him. Levi hummed and sat up a little, their cuddling position sending his arm to sleep, gesturing to the burn marks across Eren's shoulder and side of his neck. 

"What about these?" Levi asked, placing a few scattered, light kisses up Eren's torso. Eren lay back into the bedding and allowed the older man to touch and ask about any of his scars. They must have spent hours lying there, talking quietly between themselves, mainly about Eren's time in the jungle. Levi found it fascinating to learn how they operated, lived and interacted with their captives. The majority of the workforce were either sold into the Titan's property, were kidnapped or were too poor to work elsewhere to provide for their families, so became mules. 

"How about you?" Eren eventually asked when Levi seemed content with the information he'd been given. They'd practically turned Eren upside down and inside out, covering most of his scars, their origins and life before the jungle. Eren's eyes lit up with both fondness and dulled with sadness when speaking about his friends from the lab, which Levi just frowned at. He wasn't sure how to comfort people, other than to avoid them. 

"What about me?" Levi asked.

"Let's start with the scar on your leg?" Eren carefully started, fearing Levi wouldn't want to speak about himself. Thus far in all the months they'd known each other, Eren had learnt next to nothing about his life before the military. Levi had effectively, willingly, offered nothing without being prompted. He was more than happy to share, but he had to be asked in order to divulge. 

Levi propped his leg up and looked at the thin scar on the inside of his ankle, snaking up his leg to just behind his knee. He shrugged a little, resting said leg over both of Eren's as he cuddled up to his side. 

"Apparently I was born with some sort of fucked up vein in my leg or something. They took it out when I was a baby. Left a scar that just stretched bigger the more I grew." Levi said with a shrug. Eren just hummed, shifting his arm after muttering that Levi was making it fall asleep and turn numb. Now with Levi resting up against his side again and his arm around the shorter man's shoulder, Eren was comfortable. 

"What was it like before you joined the military? Didn't you work in the black market?" Eren asked, trying to piece together snippets of information, not really worried if he got anything wrong. He felt comfortable around Levi so couldn't care less whether he got a few things incorrect. Not after the mind blowing afternoon of sex they'd just had. 

"Sort of. I started out as a standard poacher, then I took over when the boss got thrown in jail." Levi said with a light shrug, unable to move much, nor really wanting to. 

"Oh, I see. So you hunted animals and sold the parts?" 

"Pretty much. The rarer the animal the more we got paid." Levi explained. 

"What was the rarest animal you ever killed?" 

Levi paused to think for a short while. "Probably an elephant." Levi said. Eren's eyes widened with surprise.

"You've actually seen one up close?" 

"Yeah." 

"I didn't see any while I was in the jungle." 

"Yeah the northern mountains aren't really their thing. I was hunting in the southwestern jungles at the time where the land is flatter." Levi explained, fingers softly splaying across the mottled marks along the side of Eren's chest. "The drugs mainly come from the north and east, so the bridges crossing to the jungle in the west have a lot more relaxed sentries on them. Fewer checks, less guards." Levi said. 

"It was good money, and I got to get out of the city." Levi said with a hint of sadness. "Penned that one kill up as one of my few true regrets. Beautiful creatures."

"How did you meet Erwin?" 

"Kinda the same way you did, minus the trip to the hospital for tetanus and seven years in captivity." Levi said with a smile which Eren could feel against his skin as Levi kissed his chest slowly, his lips hot against his skin. "I was eventually arrested but Erwin gave me the option of joining the military instead of prison. Have you seen me? I'm too pretty to go to prison." Levi drawled wryly, making Eren laugh.

"And what about your family?" Eren asked, feeling relaxed by Levi's slow kisses. As soon as he asked, the ministrations ceased and Levi stilled in Eren's arms. The young brunet swallowed nervously, fearing the question had upset the Captain. 

"What about them?" Levi answered flatly, as Eren had expected he would. You don't willingly offer up information about things you don't want to talk about, (that would defeat the purpose of _avoiding_ the subject). 

"So they exist?" Eren asked, smiling as Levi relaxed back against his side. 

"Of course they exist," scoffed Levi.

"Are they alive?" To this question, Levi paused and turned strangely quiet, nestling his face into Eren's side, arm still draped over his midriff. 

"In a manner of speaking. Sort of..." 

"What do you mean 'sort of'?" Eren was genuinely confused. "I mean, only if you _want_ to talk about it." 

Levi hummed noncommittally against Eren's ribs, cuddling up as close as he could get down the entire length of his body, ankles curled up together and bodies flush under the thin sheet. "There's Kenny..." Levi started. Eren gave him the space he expected he'd need by remaining quiet. He'd never told him anything about his family before and he'd never overheard Kenny and him discussing anyone aside from their nutty neighbours, so the curiosity was killing him. If Levi chose to not say anything else, sure, Eren would try his hardest to respect that but ultimately knew he'd be disappointed. 

"Then there's my mother... she lives in the west with my sister. I haven't seen them in years. We didn't really stay in touch after I left for the city." 

"Have you been back since?" 

"Once or twice. At their request. Mum does try to call sometimes..." Levi mumbled. Eren suspected he wasn't being given the entire truth, but refused to allow it space to fester. He quickly overrode the thought.

"Oh..." Eren didn't know what else to say, other than the first thing that came to mind. "Dad gave me my Mum's house in Shiganshina." Levi moved an arm to fiddle with the key around Eren's neck. 

"Is that what this is?" 

"Yeah." 

"Like you'll have time to live there." Levi snorted out with a smile, drawing shapeless symbols on Eren's chest, the cool of the metal making Eren's skin tingle pleasantly. 

"Tell me about it," Eren sighed out. "I mean I guess I can stay up there when we're on leave. You're more than welcome to join me. I want to invite Mikasa over but I think she's still studying." 

"Sounds... fun." Levi said quietly, sincerely.

"Yeah the neighbours who are still there, which is most of them, can't get enough of me being home. They all want to cook and clean for me. I have a small army of little old lady slaves." Eren chuckled, Levi focusing on his chest as it rose and sunk beneath his hand, laughing too for a short moment.

"Yeah, that'd be nice..." Levi said with a strange amount of wistfulness. "I reckon I'll retire as soon as I'm allowed. You gotta serve ten years minimum, if you live that long. Unless I'm medically discharged first." Levi said, returning to slowly kissing Eren's skin, wherever he could reach and adjusting himself so he could drape himself more over the young scout. 

"I think I got a special deal with that, given my past." Eren said with a shrug. 

"Yeah you little shit, talk about a free fucking pass. Erwin's just gotta sign the papers and you're a free man. No jail time." 

"So you'll be thrown in jail for leaving the military?" Eren asked.

"Consider my military service my way of repaying the country for my crimes. It's this or jail if I'm dishonourably discharged or desert."

"Ah, so my big mean Levi has to be on his best behaviour...?" Eren teased with a lazy, playful smile. Levi snorted a curt response. Their weight on the bed shifted and Eren's lips eventually found themselves curling into a smile against Levi's as the Captain leant up over his chest to kiss him. Eren's response was to wrap his arms around the smaller man's frame and hold him tightly, enjoying their shared warmth and overall feeling of contentment, no matter how short lived it was destined to be. 

"Fancy another round before Kenny gets home?" Levi breathed against Eren's lips when they eventually parted, moving up to straddle him. Eren smirked.

"Why stop at one?"

\---

The morning they awoke to return to the military base, Levi was stood over Eren at the foot of the bed, who was flopped across the sheets, buck naked and half asleep.

"Eren." No response.

"Eren we've got a problem." Levi said with as much firmness as he could muster this early in the morning. He was genuinely angered, and Eren must have sensed this, pushing himself onto his elbows and blinking the haze of sleep away. 

"Muh, what is it?" He asked, his voice still thick and groggy, synapses not yet firing on all cylinders. Levi would have found it adorable if it weren't for the issue at hand.

"I said we have a fucking problem." Levi growled as he stomped quickly over to the lights and hit the switch, illuminating the room with an orange glow from the lantern overhead. Eren blinked and groaned in complaint as he tried to focus on what Levi was trying to explain, getting a good look at his chest and neck which were littered with bite marks, scratches and hickeys. They were a work of art within themselves but Levi looked as if he'd been dragged backward through a bush. The pissed look on his face was definitely not one to be messed with, however all Eren could do was laugh. Loudly so. 

"Shut the fuck up, you don't look much better." Levi scolded, pointing at Eren's bare chest which, as promised was covered with a collection of love bites. He threw his head of messy brown locks into the pillow and let out a hearty chuckle. 

"This isn't funny you little shit. Unless you didn't notice, our uniforms don't come with fucking winter scarves." Levi moved to the closet, opening it up and peering closely into the mirror on the back of the door, glaring at his neck, the bites travelling way above the level even his formal collar would cover. Perhaps he'd be alright if he hadn't gotten that haircut. Eren was giggling like an idiot behind him, finally sitting up to look at Levi who was fretting over the evidence of last night. 

"I dunno they look pretty sexy on you." Eren snickered. Levi shot him a quick glare through the reflection of the mirror before turning around, arms crossed against his chest. For all his anger, Eren couldn't bring himself to fear his Captain's wrath. He honestly couldn't see him leaving him over something like this. Especially since they both knew it couldn't be undone. 

"Ever think of how we're going to explain this one to anyone who asks?" Levi said incredulously, however not raising his voice as he approached the edge of the bed. 

"I could just add more? Say you were rewarded by the gods of love?" Eren giggled. Levi didn't justify it with any sort of response, his face blank. Eren sighed and reserved his laughter for another time, calming down and coaxing Levi onto the bed with him. He reluctantly obeyed, sitting opposite his younger lover atop the messy sheets. 

"Alright, how about this?" Eren started, trailing a few fingers along the purple bruises on Levi's neck, close to his ear. Levi didn't move away from the touch but his scowl didn't lessen. "We say nothing? Deny anything they say stringing us both together?" 

Levi furrowed his brows skeptically. "That's a pretty shit idea. We may as well fucking tell them everything." Levi huffed with defeat. No matter how they looked at it, the squad understood from what Eren had shared that they lived in a similar area and only car-pooled on their days off. It would not take an idiot to guess they'd spent the day together, and the night by the looks of their skin. They could try and fudge the truth and say they'd met with different people on the same night, but no one would buy it. Eren was sure.

"Hey, Levi? Does Kenny know about us?" Eren asked, more out of curiosity over anything else. Levi nodded once. 

"He doesn't know the details but can read me like a book whether I like it or not." Levi grumbled the last part. "Figured it out pretty quickly. Apparently by the way I look at you." Levi said, making Eren's eyes widen and cheeks tint the faintest of pinks. "Besides, that doesn't answer what the hell we're gonna do to cover this shit up."

"Allergic reaction to something?" Eren offered with a shrug. Levi shook his head. It wasn't convincing enough. 

"Bruises from training?" Eren offered instead, his chipper demeanour not in the slightest bit dimmed, even with Levi scowling at him and declining every suggestion.

"Unless we were training on how to beat hookers off of..." Levi trailed off, his facial expression turning completely blank and motionless for a moment while the cogs twisted and turned in his mind. 

\---

"And that's the story of how I ended up in a strip club with most of the Scout officers!" Eren grinned broadly, flapping his gums at the breakfast table in the mess hall amongst his comrades, no differently than he normally would. Levi had to admit the kid was good at acting. 

"Hah, that's awesome bro!" Connie said, smacking Eren on the shoulder with a big, toothy smile. A couple other soldiers at the table let out an amused giggle. Ymir wasn't paying attention to anything aside from Christa and Armin by Eren's side simply looked up at his friend with a blank expression, as if in thought, skeptical even.

"Pfft," Jean scoffed with a mouthful of half chewed omelette. "The day you get laid is the day tigers fly. No wonder you had to resort to a strip club." He grumpily mumbled the last part, clearly enough yet for Eren to hear. Despite it being a lie, the remark still hurt, so, in the only way he understood how to deal with his anger Eren abruptly stood, earning a few turned heads from tables nearby. 

"You got something you want to say?" Eren practically shouted. Jean scrunched his face up, Armin and Connie pulling at Eren's sleeves, trying to get him to sit back down. 

"Hey, calm down Eren." Connie said casually, not wanting another fight between the two. Eren just pulled his sleeves out of their grasps and disentangled himself from the bench he'd been sat on, stepping away from it and stomping around to Jean's side of the table. Having blinded himself with his own rage, Eren failed to notice what exactly it was holding his fist back away from landing straight into Jean's long horse snout. People were yelling at him and Marco was holding Jean in his seat as Eren was pulled away and smacked around the back of his head by a quick, hard hand. 

"Ow! Fuck!" Eren complained as he was pushed to the ground, completely shaken from his anger by Levi standing at his feet, who proceeded to follow through with a quick kick to his stomach, daring him to get up. A pang of satisfaction flooded over him as his Captain proceeded to take a handful of Jean's hair and slammed his face straight against the table. Whatever snide comment or snicker Jean had planned was quickly beat out of him. The rest of the squad were completely silent and Levi didn't add to it aside from moving back to his own breakfast. 

Slowly the room's chatter started up again as Eren got up and Marco assisted Jean with his bleeding nose. 

"Finish breakfast and then come to my office. Both of you." Erwin said sternly as Levi took his seat back next to the tall blond. 

The pair sat in Erwin's office with tense jaws, aching and grumpy as they were thoroughly scolded and ordered onto cleaning duty until they deployed. At least they'd be returning to a sparkly clean barrack...

\---

The temperature had dropped just below twenty degrees Celsius when the choppers were fired up on the morning of departure. The country was in it's first proper vestiges of the monsoon season and it was raining heavily, making the army base feel dark and dismal. The weather certainly didn't help in lightening the ominously foreboding feeling itching away at the back of Eren's neck as he climbed aboard and buckled himself in beside a still slightly bruised Jean. 

The soft fuzz of the pilot radioing to HQ could only just be heard as Eren slipped his headphones on, adjusting his microphone. 

"If it gets any worse you guys will have to walk as close as we can get you." 

"That is fine. Do what you can, closer the better." Levi said as they took off, the wind jostling the helicopter slightly as it tilted into the direction of travel. There were two small choppers tasked with flying Levi's squad out to the jungle and Eren had a side seat view of the jungle from where he was positioned in his seat at the edge. The sides were wide open to the elements, chilling his fingertips and blasting everyone's faces with cold wet air. 

The start of their very wet, very cold (by Ragakan standards,) two months, was in full swing and Eren had his eyes locked onto the choppy wind blown canopies as they flew the full three hours in the rain, which fortunately didn't worsen. Most of the passengers spent the whole trip more or less silent and Armin, as he would, spent the entire ride trying to keep his eyes closed in some sort of semblance of rest. 

Eren regarded his friend with a concerned gaze for a moment, occasionally wiping spittle from his eyes. He understood Armin's concerns regarding his own constitution, worrying about bringing the group down because he wasn't as fast or as strong. He had a brilliant, genius mind, yet he harshly compared it against his self-perceived flaws. The boy was an asset, only his lack of self worth blinded himself to it. That's what Eren had been reassuring him of for the last few months. He wasn't a burden, nor had Eren, or anyone in the team, ever seen him as such. 

With a soft sigh and an anxious heart, Eren dragged his eyes back to the jungle. The thick clouds blanketed most of the lower regions and they flew past numerous small peaks and ridges from the nearby small mountains, all of which were coated with a generous smattering of dark green.

Just as they were about to land, Hange spoke up. "Alright soldiers. This is where we land!" They had to yell somewhat to be heard over the humming of the propellers and the wind blowing harshly at their sides. Eren held his hands over his headphones to try and block out as much background noise as he could. Everyone else not sat right next to Hange did the same. 

"You have prepared for this! Remember your training and you will stay alive!" Hange yelled, unhooking from their seat and attaching a thick cord rope bolted to the floor of the chopper to their harness in preparation for jumping. 

"We jump as soon as the first team are on the ground. Get ready!" 

Everyone sprung into action, lining up beside one another and behind each other to fix themselves to the cording that would lower them into the thick foliage below. With a deep breath and a steeled resolve, when it came to his turn, Eren leapt from the chopper and felt himself blow sideways with the wind, almost hitting into Sasha on the way. He felt as if he was in the air for longer than he was, but before he had time to admire the view or bid it farewell his feet were on solid ground in a flat opening on the side of a mountain face, the helicopters not landing and hovering above as the final troops streamed out. 

The entire drop-off took about three minutes and the team had their guns at the ready and were pushing forward into the brush as soon as the last pair of feet hit the ground, the only noises audible in the undergrowth being the patter of boots to mud and leaves being trampled into the puddles. The ground barely felt solid saturated with as much water as it was and patches were very slippery where black rubber soles met clay. 

"Watch your footing." Mike said over the radio from the front of the line travelling through the trees. The team had deployed in the early hours of the morning, the sun not having risen into their valley yet, only now being roughly six in the morning. In no time flat everyone had tired, miserable looks on their faces, their flak gear, rucksacks and generously thick rain gear weighing them down into the wet earth with each step. 

They must have hiked north for three hours before pausing for a short break, the rain showing no sign of slowing. The scenery was a fraction lighter now the sun had risen behind the storm clouds. "Climbing gear, everyone." Hange announced, forcing everyone to finish their current mouthfuls of water, Jean approaching with three long cords of rope. Hange took Jean with them through a small opening in the trees and to Eren's surprise they had already hit the river, the roaring of a tall waterfall looming over them a little ways ahead.

Eren tilted his head back, pushing his helmet up with him as he did so to get a better look and gasped at the waterfall's height. "We're climbing that?" He heard Connie exclaim as he too emerged from the undergrowth, neck bent backwards as he too took in the scenery. It was easily twice the height of the cliff Levi's previous squad had abseiled down roughly half a year ago on their way out of the jungle. 

"It would take too long to go around," said Ymir with a shrug as she stomped past the shorter male to get into position once they approached the waterfall. Mike had already hoisted himself up onto the wet rocks alongside Hange, fixing themselves to the rocks on hooks as they re-positioned their grapples and strung rope along with them. Once they reached the top the rest of the soldiers gingerly made their way up the slick rock face, faces pointed toward the unyielding precipitation. 

The forest in the rain was usually a lot livelier than normal, but in different senses. When the forest was dry and hot, Eren observed there were many more mammals and birds around, monkeys hollering into the air claiming their territory or multiple different breeds of birds or insects performing year-round mating rituals. When the forest was thick with moisture however, the deafening daytime noises mimicked the night more, as the amphibians would croak into life. 

That and the endless tapping, smacking and splashing of water collecting and falling from tens of meters high, making them very loud and heavy by the time they hit the forest floor. The team spent roughly four days hiking and camping in secluded areas, the only signs of life beside themselves being the ritualistic chorus of each type of animal, sparking into song as if on a tight schedule. The birds would awake with the monkeys at dawn, each different breed taking slots between each other in chaotic, perfect synchronicity.

As night fell, the frogs and large cats would awake, along with the bats, possums, owls and swarms of dark-dwelling insects, large moths finding attraction to the camp's poorly lit, wet-logged fire. 

The soldiers who hadn't gone to sleep were sat around their small fire, huddled under their shelter of thick palm leaves layered over a makeshift lean-to. The awake ones remaining were of course the mild insomniac Levi, Sasha, Mike, Hange, Marco and Jean. Connie, Ymir, Christa, Eren and Armin had already retired to their hammocks for the evening. Marco was sat beside Jean, looking up into the dark canopy as it rained still, looking a little morose. 

"Why the long face?" Jean asked, nudging him and almost making him spill his mug of tea. Marco blinked, returning to the present moment. 

"Oh nothing, I was just thinking about how Eren could live here for so long..." Marco said, tone hushed, aware that the man in question was sleeping not too far away. It was unlikely he could hear from over the rain and the night song of the creatures, but still. Jean scrunched his face up a little in his usual distasteful confusion, not caring to understand the ass who'd caused him so much hassle over the last few months, not to mention beating him in the scores on their tests in areas he felt he was performing better in. 

"Why do you care?" Jean spat quietly. The rest of the group kept quiet but there was no doubt that all of them could hear the conversation being sat in such close proximity of each other. 

"Well, it's so... Different, I guess." Marco said with a shrug. 

"They don't live like this in the jungle you dummy." Sasha quipped from across the fire, gesturing to the primitive shelter they had erected in a hurry in the rain. Marco flushed a little with embarrassment.

"Well I guessed that much," he mumbled, returning his attention to the trees. 

"I guess I just couldn't imagine living here." 

"Captain Levi knows what it is like, surely?" Sasha asks bluntly, earning her the sharp attention of their superior officer who until this moment had been silent for most of the day aside from speaking with Hange or Mike. "What's it like living out here?"

"How the fuck would I know?" Levi said flatly, his expression unchanging and voice close to monotonous. 

"Well you lived with Eren for months, didn't he tell you?" Sasha asked quietly. 

"You've seen Titan camps." Levi said, ignoring an answer relating to the brunet. "It's no different I guess?" He said airily. "If you want to know what it was like for Eren, ask Eren. It's not my business what he did or didn't tell me. I'm his senior officer, not his wife." 

Sasha hummed and slumped into her shoulders a little at unsuccessfully extracting any information from Levi.

"Apparently they were right assholes." Jean added. Eren hadn't exactly been forthcoming with his treatment with his squad mates, and he had no reason to share all the gritty details, so what his team did know came in pieces. Armin knew more or less every detail, but he was already asleep. Aside from Levi and Hange, who weren't willing to share information that wasn't theirs, Jean knew the most, only by having Eren show him the full extent of his scars. Even then, he never divulged many details but Jean had come to enough conclusions to know what the Titans were like with their captives. 

"Assholes huh? That's an understatement. You guys have seen his arms and legs. That's more than just regular grade-A assholery, that's just cruel." Sasha said tersely, clearly trying to keep her voice low. Marco and Jean hummed and nodded. Even Mike and Hange were nodding along in agreement. Levi remained silent. 

"Shoulda' seen him when he brought him back from the jungle..." Hange said with a laugh which was obviously masking everyone's discomfort with the topic. "Literally the scrawniest thing I've ever seen. He looked like a drowned rat." 

"Hange." Levi's tone, although very quiet, spoke a silent warning, effectively ending their conversation there before it continued further. He continued to pour himself another cup of tea and swilled the contents around, cupping his hands around the metal to warm his hands. Everyone else saw that as a good opportunity to either re-fill their own mugs or rinse their used ones out, clipping them back to their rucksacks before going to bed. Levi was soon the only one still awake, watching the tented space where Eren's hammock was strung up between the trees. 

The pair conversed with the group no more than they usually would, Eren being as animated as he usually is and Levi chirping in whenever he found something amusing (usually with a shit joke), or if he was asked a question. It brought a smile to Eren's face knowing Levi acted the same around absolutely everyone. It was the feeling of knowing someone had been genuinely honest with you. Truthful, even, which led Eren to relax even more so within the older man's company. The rest of the team also learnt that in order to learn anything about Levi, you had to ask for yourself. Following a few blunt questions from Sasha, everyone dropped their guards a fraction regarding their Captain. 

Marco was convinced Sasha was going to be skinned alive when she asked about Levi's home life, whether he was married or had kids. The only response they received was, "I live in the city when I'm not on base. My uncle owns a barber shop and I live in his loft. No wife or kids. No time for that shit." 

A few of the group chuckled softly, Eren holding his remark to himself, smiling at it anyway. The less they knew how much free time they spent together, the less attention he'd draw to them. They pushed uphill in the rain, which was getting ready to stop for the first time in days, bringing silent sighs of relief to the entire team as the endless stream retreated into repose. 

"Timed perfectly, if I do say so myself." Hange said with a massive smile, elbowing Mike as they pointed to the large clearing around the river, crisp clear mountain water flowing by effortlessly. They still had a few days of hiking through unfamiliar and ever-changing forests before they would come across any signs of Titan activity. In the meantime everyone unclipped bags and took off their rain gear, stringing everything up to air dry between trees since every other flat surface was still wet.

The sun eventually pierced through the dull sky and it took only an hour for almost every cloud to be out of sight completely, the equatorial heat scorching everything, despite the time of year. The day's temperatures would still rise to a warm thirty, forty on a clearer day like today, dropping closer to the tens during the night. 

"Finally, a bit of sunshine!" Connie griped, finished with stringing up the wet gear. 

"Tell me about it." Sasha agreed as she fished through her bags for something to eat, pulling out a protein bar and tucking straight in. A few others followed her idea and paused for a snack. Eren spent the short break close to the water, staring up at the tall treetops where a family of howler monkeys were flinging themselves around, screaming down at the team for being within their territory, warning howls being sent their way. Eren knew full well how loud they could be and the noise soon became deafening.

Eren smirked as he saw Levi's eye twitch as he too looked up at the monkeys from his seat on a damp rock. 

"Loud, eh?" 

"Mm..." Levi hummed noncommittally. "Are you alright?" He asked shortly afterward, catching Eren's attention before he turned away again. 

"Yeah. I'm fine." 

"Tell me if you're not. Any time." Levi ordered. Eren smiled softly and nodded. Despite his serious demeanour whilst amongst other soldiers, that same tenderness and care Eren had grown so used to hadn't diminished in the slightest. He understood Levi wasn't always the greatest at reassuring people or coming across as kind, so he often allowed those who knew him best and whom he trusted to speak on his behalf or translate his remarks or comments. There was a surprising amount of care in every off-handed quip or foul-mouthed order, if one looked for it. 

"I will." 

"Good. I guess we'll stay here for lunch." Levi called to Hange and Mike who relayed the message to everyone else nearby. Eren set his backpack down and joined Levi on the rocks, sitting just across from him as he dug out his food. Levi pulled his legs up and crossed them, getting as comfortable as one could on a rock. The sun was shining though, so for the first time in a number of days they felt warm, which helped raise spirits. Eren smiled at Armin as he approached alongside Marco and Christa. The rest of the team would shortly follow after setting down their bags and digging out their food. 

They all sat in relative silence as they ate and Eren couldn't help but think of Mikasa. She'd said she was going to come back for him, but what if he couldn't hold up his own end of the bargain and stay alive? He frowned deeply and grit his teeth. He didn't plan on dying out here. He wouldn't allow it. Not with lives at stake and revenge on the game table. If he could wrap his hands around that tall guy's neck and squeeze so tightly the life diminished he would be sated. The one who told his soldiers to kill his mother even after they had both complied with their demands. 

That's the last time he'd comply with demands of terrorists, he thought bitterly, feeling the unresolved anger bubble up in him, just the sound of Jean's voice annoying him. It didn't take long for Eren's train of thought to spur him into an exceptionally bad mood, so rather than lashing out at Jean he abruptly got up in the middle of one of his obnoxious ladykilling stories and stomped off. Everyone looked so confused it was comical. They'd actually been discussing Jean's mother's cooking when Eren scowled at him for no apparent reason and stormed off, retreating behind the tree line.

"Don't go too far!" Hange called, turning to look at Levi, as if in expectation he be the one to calm Eren down from whatever mysterious thing had set him off. Armin sighed softly and volunteered before Levi could get up, so the older man allowed him to go, finishing off his meal. 

Eren had disappeared just out of sight beyond the trees and Armin found him hunched over a small grassy plant in the undergrowth, glaring at it. Armin let out a borderline uncomfortable sounding laugh and Eren twitched in acknowledgement of his presence but didn't tear his eyes away from the small plant. 

"What've you found?" Armin asked. 

"We're getting closer." Eren mumbled through gritted teeth. 

"I hope you're not going to transform into some sort of monster at the first smell of Titans and go on some sort of killing rampage." Armin laughed, albeit awkwardly. The blond understood that Eren's level of friendship and trust from Eren was far further than he shared with anyone aside from Mikasa over web-chat, although he still had guards in place. The young man wasn't an idiot and you didn't need to be a fool to realise Eren had skeletons in his closet. Eren laughed along with Armin for a short while before standing and facing him. 

The silence between the pair was suffocating, neither of them saying anything, both holding back. 

"Eren?" 

"Yeah?" 

"We've known each other for years... and I was just wondering..." 

"What is it?" Eren urged. 

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Armin eventually said, looking Eren straight in the eye as the brunet grew uncomfortable and hot around the ears as he felt his face flush with blood, fearing the words that may fall from his friend's lips. He froze, aside from the single ability granted him of a lone nod. Armin paused, looked down at nothing, before speaking; 

"Are you and Levi... involved with each other?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're enjoying this lil' story, please tell me why! Alternatively check out my other works. :)


	24. Professionalism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin's figured out about Eren and Levi and confronts him about it, and the boys vow to be nothing but professional on this mission...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So to me it's probably a huge difference - it sure felt it! But I have changed my writing style. I think it's a lot better, so if anyone notices I hope you enjoy! This was a test chapter to get used to it so next update will probably be better :)
> 
> P.s. Will proof read this later I was just eager to post it :) please excuse any grammar errors.

"Are you and Levi... involved with each other?" Armin asked quietly. 

Eren's chest instantly tightened and his throat constricted as the words he feared fell from Armin's lips. Does he tell him the truth? Would he report this to anyone? No. He could trust Armin. But could Levi? Surely he could. But what if-

"Eren?" His attention turned upward to find Armin regarding him with a mixture of concern and curiosity, although his chest sunk when it dawned on him that his face had already told Armin everything he wanted to know.

"Don't tell anyone!" Eren blurted in a hushed tone, feeling strangely relieved and anxious within himself. Armin smiled softly and took a step closer, looking up at Eren silently as his face turned bright pink. 

"It's alright, I won't say a word." 

"When did you figure it out?" Eren asked, rubbing his face and looking around the forest nearby, checking to see if anyone was around. 

"Well beside the other day with all the marks, I think the whole squad has noticed how you look at each other." Armin said, making Eren groan into his hands, covering his face with embarrassment. That was precisely what Eren hadn't wanted to hear. He was convinced they had done a pretty good job at keeping things neutral between themselves whilst on the base, ensuring anything they said or did with one another was done strictly in private. No lingering stares, no accidental touches. For what it was worth they had been very diligent. 

"Does everyone know?" Eren asked, his voice now incredulous, slowly sinking into acceptance and resignation. Armin just shrugged. 

"I think they have their suspicions but nothing proven. Just gossip really. Banter, you know?" 

"Ugh." Eren groaned, his frustration and defeat evident, pulling at his face and trying to rub his face from it's uncomfortable heat. Armin stepped over once more and wrapped his arms around Eren, hugging against his chest. Eren tensed initially but ultimately relaxed into the hug when Armin didn't move. 

"It's fine." 

"Yeah, Erwin knows but we figured we'd keep it a secret while I was being supervised." Armin leant back.

"How long?" Armin asked with a smile. Eren cracked a slight grin in return. 

"Since the summer festival." 

Armin gave it a moment of thought to work out the time scale, deducing it to roughly four months. "Well. I won't say a thing, I promise." 

"Thanks." 

"Oi! You two taking a dump together or what?" Ymir's voice cracked sharply through the trees, startling both of them. "We're leaving so get your asses over here!" 

The pair emerged from the trees and Eren's eyes were instantly locked with Levi's who was looking him over with a glint of concern before turning away, instructing the others to hurry up and get their gear strapped on. Eren adjusted his own rucksack, strapped his crossbow on and fell into line with his squad mates, trudging uphill for another few hours before setting up a small camp on the side of the mountain. 

They were fairly close to the top of the ridge, and had about five more to cover before they'd even be in Titan territory. They would have taken the rivers, which would have been much quicker, but the Titans use that as their main route for transportation and would spoil the element of surprise they were aiming for. They had no plans on attacking the main base, since it would be manned with possibly hundreds of armed men, versus Levi's squad of eleven. 

The team had all fallen asleep and the night's symphony was in full, loud swing. Most of the soldiers had learnt to carry earplugs for when they weren't so close to enemy land, so at least they'd still feel reasonably refreshed by the time they reached the war zone. Eren lay there in his hammock enjoying the rare moment without rain pelting down over his tarp when he heard a quiet shuffling noise a little way from where he was resting, his senses instantly springing him into full alertness. 

As silently as he could, Eren slipped from his hammock, crossbow in hand. He unfastened the safety and carefully pulled his goggles down over his eyes to get a better look in the dark, switching the night vision on and looking around. He heard the rustle again, this time to his left. One quick glance to check the hammocks and everyone appeared to be accounted for. Swallowing thickly, Eren pressed forward until he was close to the sound. It was most likely an animal, but he didn't want to risk not checking the disturbance. 

As he crept closer there was a figure illuminated through the moonlight between the trees, streaking the body which was currently facing away from him. 

"The hell?" Eren muttered under his breath, tightening his arms and his grip on his crossbow, pointing it directly at the body. 

"Hello?" Eren tried. The figure turned it's head and Eren breathed a sigh of relief when Levi's face appeared in the dark, his hood covering the back of his head as he was out here relieving himself.

"What is it?" Levi said beneath his breath, clearly not finished yet as he turned his attention back to his business. Eren pushed his goggles up his face and switched them off, watching Levi's back in the dark as he zipped himself up. 

"I just thought I heard something, came to check it out." Eren admitted. Levi hummed quietly. Eren spared a good look over his shoulder toward the camp and they were more or less out of sight, bar from Armin's hammock which was facing away from where they were positioned in the trees, a portion of the cliff face beside them blocking them from view but not from earshot. 

Levi's eyes followed Eren's and when Eren's attention was back on the Captain it was too late. His lips were locked before he could squeal any noises of surprise, instantly wrapping his arms around the shorter man and returning the kiss openly, willingly. The kiss was hungry and desperate, as if they'd not seen each other in weeks, but it had been over a week since they last touched, so needless to say they were feeling ravenous. 

"Fuck, this isn't good. I can't get you off my fucking mind." Levi whispered to Eren before delving back in again, Eren's footsteps gently leading them backward behind a tree, Armin's hammock slowly disappearing from view. Levi's tongue probed against Eren's lips and the younger man instantly granted him access, the kiss soon turning heated and passionate. 

"Me... Neither," Eren managed between breaks for air, trying to keep as quiet as possible. 

"Do you wanna get off?" Levi whispered. Eren's cock twitched at the suggestion, taking full control of his brain and forcing him to nod, returning to feasting on Levi's soft lips, devouring every strained noise he made as Eren pressed his palm against his officer's trousers. 

"We have to be quiet..." Eren breathed out as Levi broke their kiss to pant against Eren's chest, using his shirt to muffle his heavy breaths and occasional stifled moans. Eren clenched his jaw and pressed his lips together tightly, as if attempting to prevent any noise from escaping him. A task which would prove fruitless as Levi pushed his hand away and went directly for the brunet's belt, quickly unfastening it and dropping to his knees. Eren had only expected a hand job at most, so this was turning out well.

"Come in my mouth, it's cleaner that way." Levi said, eliciting a sharp in-breath from Eren who was salivating at the suggestion. If it weren't so damned dark in the jungle at night Eren would currently be enjoying a flushed, heated look spread across Levi's cheeks as he quickly removed Eren's erection and hastily gave it a few pumps before taking the head into his mouth, lapping at it and getting it wet enough to slide back and forth between lip covered teeth. Eren instantly choked back a moan as Levi's hot, wet mouth was sucking harshly at his cock, clearly trying to get him to come as soon as possible. This wasn't an ideal location being so close to the camp with the other team mates so nearby, so if they were caught this would be problematic. 

Despite setting out boundaries to not appear involved with one another whilst at work, Eren desperately wanted to hold Levi. He craved his tanned skin against his own. Needed it, even. The bristle of his stubble against his chest in the morning, his delicate touches and tender kisses. He'd do anything to press himself up against him and kiss him as often as he wanted, but their positions wouldn't allow it. At least not publicly. The best he could hope for was fleeting moments of solitude where they could steal accidental touches or exchange quick... In this case, blowjobs. Not that Eren was prepared to complain. 

Before he could register quite what was happening he found his hands knitted into Levi's hair, unable to grasp as much as he usually would with the man's recent haircut. It didn't take long for Levi to bring Eren over the edge, the pent up desire allowed to gush both metaphorically and very physically from Eren's body. Once he came down from his orgasmic high, there was a dull awareness to check his location for creatures, but the feeling of concern was quickly blanketed by his own hands twisting and pushing Levi to his feet up against the same tree he'd been leant against, their positions now reversed.

Wordlessly Eren tucked himself away and zipped himself up, not bothering with his belt as Levi unfastened his own, stroking his own cock before Eren's eyes as the brunet returned his attention upward. Ecstasy wracked Levi's body as Eren forced his entire length into his mouth, the tip squeezing into the confines of Eren's throat. The noises were obscene, garbled and wet but Levi didn't make a peep as his arousal disappeared into Eren's mouth over and over at a fast pace. With his face pressed flush against Levi's pubic hair, the older man came straight into his throat with Eren's green eyes staring straight up at him in the darkness, the sensation tickling his throat with warm spurts. 

Spent and sensitive, Levi fastened his trousers as Eren stood and kissed him briefly, a quick peck. Just as Eren was about to shift away from Levi a hand grasped his wrist and he was pulled to him. Looking down with curious eyes Eren regarded his Captain with a smile, waiting for him to catch his breath. "We should get back to sleep." Eren suggested. 

"Yeah, we can't make this a regular thing, either. This is such a fucking awful idea. The whole squad are literally around the other side of that tree." Levi whispered as quietly as his ragged voice would allow, pressing up close to Eren's ear just for good measure. 

"Yeah you're right... Gotta admit though it's pretty exciting." 

"We could lose our jobs. I'll end up in prison." 

"Well then we'll just have to be extra discreet." 

"Extra discreet is not blowing each other in the middle of an operation. I can't let my dick think for me on the job." Levi prodded Eren's chest to make sure he was listening to his point, accentuating each little verbal jab with a poke of his finger. "You're gonna have to keep it in your pants too if we're gonna focus enough to stay alive out here." Levi chastised his younger lover. 

"I know. I know. I just..." 

"There's no 'I just', Eren. You're gonna have to control yourself. I will too. No more of this shit until we're back home. Okay?" Levi's tone of voice was firm and left for no back-chat. Eren nodded and agreed, offering his Captain a playful salute. 

"I promise, Sir, that I will keep my dick in my pants and my tongue in my mouth, my hands to myself and any dirty thoughts about you unspoken." Eren pledged. Levi rolled his eyes. 

"Good." 

"One final kiss?" Eren asked very quietly. He didn't need his night vision goggles on to be able to tell that Levi was glaring at him. Regardless of his distasteful expression, the shorter man leant up to give Eren a long, closemouthed kiss. It held none of earlier's fervency and double the affection. It was a kiss of longing, of hope and of promise. Promise that these lips would find each other's again, regardless of whatever came around those mountains. 

"Stay alive yeah?" Levi said. Eren nodded. 

"You too, Sir." 

"Alright, get your ass back to sleep. We've got another long ass day of hiking tomorrow." 

"Yes Sir!"

\--- 

The following days were just as wet as the rest. The closer to enemy territory the group trudged, the more signs of life they found along their travels. Kicked out fireplaces, trodden and cut pathways too obviously human to be any forest animal, boot prints in the soil. The team's casual conversation and chatter dimmed to occasional murmurs over their radios on an otherwise silent trek. The hike from drop off to their final mountain ridge saw no casualties or bites, scratches or scrapes. There were minimal slips in the mud and spirits were at a reasonable high amongst the young men and women despite the wet, humid weather. 

Eren spent his time looking closely around the forest for any clues or signs that may lead them to the Titan's main stronghold. Only after following a well walked path did he begin to recognize his surroundings with an ever growing abundance of citrusy grass dotted amongst the undergrowth. He slowed his steps to a halt to look around. Those walking behind him carried onwards, following Mike and Levi at the front. There was an itching at the back of Eren's mind. Sure, the forest was very similar no matter where they went, but something about this particular path wasn't sitting right with him. 

"What is it, Yeager?" Levi's voice crackled over Eren's earpiece. Upon redirecting his eyes from the forest uphill, Levi had halted the group and was looking back at him expectantly. Armin took the pause in walking to check his GPS. A few others took a drink or dug out a protein bar to snack on.

Eren held a finger against his mic and cast his attention back to the thick forest to his side. "This path will take us straight to the camp, but this way is better." The team turned to look at him as if he were crazy. He was pointing directly up a steep, mossy cliff face at the end of a short patch of trees, completely untouched by human feet. Armin unfolded a map and moved over to where Eren was, a questioning look on his face. 

"Are you sure about that?" The blond asked. Eren was still looking into the forest toward the cliff and eventually confirmed with a slow nod. 

"You do realize we've got a perfectly decent path that takes us straight there? Right?" Ymir said with a grumble over the radio. Eren huffed and pointed. 

"We could run into Titans at any point along this path. We will need to get off the main path eventually but this far out they're less likely to find our tracks. Especially if we go in side by side." Eren reasoned. Sasha cast her eyes over the suggested area and nodded. 

"Yeah, if we head in a few meters apart and meet over by the cliff we won't leave a path. At least not one that won't grow back in a couple of days." 

"Good point." Marco agreed. Christa nodded enthusiastically as Levi and Mike approached, also looking at the suggested change in direction. A few hushed whispers were exchanged and Levi's attention was suddenly on Eren.

"Alright. Lead the way." With the words, Eren's chest relaxed and he cracked a smile, happy that his idea had been agreed upon by his squad leaders and Captain. 

"As Sasha said, spread out along the path and try not to break anything, step on any snakes, walk into any ant nests, etcetera. Okay?" Eren said over the radio so he wouldn't have a need to raise his voice in this particularly sensitive neck of the woods. The squad nodded in affirmation and spread out along the winding, narrow path, making their way in at equal spread distances and treading carefully. 

A few paces in and a squeal ripped through the trees to Eren's left. Shooting his head sideways he narrowed in on exactly what had created the noise. The other squad mates had also been startled and a few raised their guns on alert but Christa's voice squeaked in and Ymir was at her side in no time flat, pulling the webs from her face and hair.

"Sorry! I walked into a cobweb!" 

"No bites, either." Ymir confirmed, clearly making excuses to get close to the blonde and inspect her skin close up. 

The team trudged on and Levi's eye-roll was practically audible. Once they reached the not-too-far cliff face some twenty minutes through the trees later, the squad regrouped and all looked up. It would be a very long climb, way into the canopies of the tall trees, but Eren had assured them it would be the best way to go. He of all knew these forests even better than Mike, Hange and Levi who had all served multiple tours here, sometimes months at a time on observation missions. Eren's skill was still on the unpolished side, but Levi trusted him enough to follow his lead. If it turned out wrong and they all survived, it would just be a learning, nothing more. 

"I don't think our ropes will stretch that far." Hange observed, looking up. 

"Get into the trees, everyone. Pick one that's close to the cliff and work your way up. I don't want a single hook missing. Got it?" Came the order from their Captain. The team nodded and sprung straight into action, launching their grappling gear into the low hanging branches. The gear was simple, but quiet, which was important when on covert missions such as this. When they especially required silence, the cord could be slackened for tossing the hooks by hand, using the mechanism to hoist. It was especially useful when preserving energy on long hikes such as these. The team would fully appreciate being at full strength when the time to fight came. Their enemy wouldn't have a laborious two week hike before them before engaging, putting the scouts at a noticeable disadvantage. 

A disadvantage Levi was keen to iron out with a couple of weeks of observation once they arrived. Or so was the plan. Get the team as acclimatised to the jungle as possible. They weren't as used to it as his previous squad had been but he was lucky to have Mike and Hange to lean on for support with integrating them to the harsh environment. By the time they were due at the secondary location of the laboratory, they all will have been in the jungle for a month. Plenty of time to pull their fingers out. 

Hange being the most competent freestyle climber was tasked with heading up first. A feint crackle sounded over the radio and gunshots were heard in the background, over the edge of the cliff face they were climbing. 

"Don't stop." Levi prompted the few soldiers who had paused climbing their trees. Once as high up their respective trees as they could climb, they all started launching their hooks out into the rock face. Eren gave an experimental tug on his before carefully hopping from his branch and propping his feet against the greenery protruding from the cliff face. Once on the wall the team helped each other climb it. 

The higher they climbed, the more astutely aware of their vulnerability they came. They were starting to climb well above the canopy and with their dark green camo gear stuck out against the pale stone which, the higher they climbed, the less plant life there was. Fortune was on their side however. It was still early in the day and the low clouds still danced between the highest peaks, effectively shielding them from view. For now. It was highly unlikely they would be spotted however, since while beneath the shade of the trees, there was such poor visibility of the sky. Any rebels following the path below would not be trained in keeping their eyes peeled quite so high. 

Once at the peak some ninety minutes later, the team fixed themselves to the thin ridge and sat down. There were a few lingering trees and shrubs to offer cover, but the view the peak granted them was astonishing. As soon as the cloud cleared, the deep valleys and expanses of green in every shade and every direction was thrown into sight. 

"Woah..." Armin gasped and Sasha gripped Christa's shoulder with one arm and grinned so wide her face could have split. 

"That's..." Jean begun, only to be finished off by Marco; "...incredible!"

Eren smiled as the wind blew through his hair and he looked to his side to Levi and the man smiled at him. It was a brief, subtle smile but that tiny twitch of the corner of his superior's lips was all Eren needed. Levi was enjoying the view. Although it hadn't been his intention to lead the squad on a sightseeing detour, everyone praised Eren in his call to climb the cliff even if for the view alone. Coloured birds most of them had never seen before fluttered past in groups and the sun even dared to peek through the clouds once everyone had gotten comfortable. 

The ridge was less than a metre wide, so with the winds they all strapped themselves down and helped each other to their rations, taking a moment to refuel and gather their bearings. Armin made the most of the absolutely fleeting moment of aerial visibility, pointing out the path they would have otherwise taken. 

"See that ridge there?"

"Yeah?" The team chorused, some with food in their mouths.

"It leads all the way around the valley and up over the lowest point in this mountain's peak." Armin explained.

"And?" Jean commented with his mouth still half full of his protein bar, earning himself a disapproving frown from Marco for his rudeness.

"It means if Eren's guess at the location of their camp is correct, the route we are now taking leads us straight to their back door."

"What's that got anything to do with the low point over there?" Levi asked.

"It means the Titans are lazy. They have a clear cut path over the easiest parts of the terrain. The angle we're heading in at? They'll never see us coming." Armin concluded with a confident smirk.

"Huh, right. I get it," Connie remarked with a shrug and a smile before tucking back into his freeze-dried lunch.

"Good job, Yeager." Levi commented, peering over the edge of the ridge. It was a straight shot down, possibly over one hundred metres. It was a good forty metres to the canopy. 

"Arlert." 

"Yes, Captain?"

"What do you reckon. Risk being seen while climbing about fifty metres or wait until it gets dark or rains?"

Armin paused to consider every possibility. Both were reasonable suggestions and both had their risks. If they were spotted climbing down against the pale rock face they could potentially endanger their position, putting the whole mission at jeopardy. If they waited they risked slipping or encountering nocturnal creatures hiding in the cliff. Either way they could shake it, it was risky. The blond looked down, around and behind himself, analysing his surroundings. 

The team waited with bated breaths for his answer. 

"We may not need to do either." 

Understandably, Levi looked confused alongside his squad leaders who looked skeptical, their eyes following the direction of the young blond's. 

"Care to elaborate?" Mike asked. Armin hummed and cast his gaze downward, he wasn't entirely confident in his own abilities but he braced himself to speak nonetheless. 

"We can go down one at a time, that way the rock face, if visible from anywhere, won't suddenly look so different it's noticeable." A few of the team members nodded and hummed in agreement, looking over the edge of the cliff to take a look at it. Ymir pointed. 

"What about over there?" Armin and the officers directed their attention to a portion of the rock face which was littered with small shrubs and sparse trees. 

"It's better than what we've got here. At any distance we're likely to be mistaken for shrubs." 

\---

The Titans didn't see any sign of moving cliff face shrubberies and Levi's squad were confident in feeling they'd abseiled down without being detected. Armin and Eren were given complimentary pats on the back and they all pressed forward down the high slopes of the opposite side of the mountain. Ordinarily it was easiest to travel sideways and zigzag your way down, but with the lack of any footpaths or trails, they decided upon heading straight down to the base of the valley. 

Thanks to Eren's feeling to scale the mountain ridge instead of follow the path, the squad arrived into a much better camp location than initially planned, and made it there a day ahead of schedule. Another bonus was that they set up camp before the rain started again, so they were all reasonably comfortable and dry. The group was eleven in numbers and as everyone set up their small, camouflaged tents they automatically fell into sleeping pairs and one trio. 

Eren looked to Armin and frowned. Armin had asked Marco to share and all the blond did was gesture over his shoulder and wink at his friend with a sly smirk. Eren turned to find the only person without a partner was Levi. Mike and Hange had already claimed their space. Eren shot Armin an accusatory glare as Levi approached, having finished setting up his tent. Eren jumped a little and startled as a hand was placed on his shoulder. He spun around, cheeks flushed as Levi gestured politely toward their sleeping arrangements. 

"Looks like you drew the short straw." Levi commented, completely seriously. Hange clearly heard it because a hoot of laughter was heard the to men's side. 

"Ha! Good one, Levi!" 

"It wasn't a joke." Levi deadpanned. By now even Eren was suppressing a smirk. Did he seriously miss the short joke?

"Shut the fuck up four eyes. Remember shit stains, we're an hour away from the Titan camp. No stupid fucking noises." Levi said firmly, earning a few salutes from the newer, eager to please recruits. 

"Yes, Sir!"

"And cut that shit out."

"Yes Si-" Connie's repetition was halted by Levi's icy glare. 

"For that you two are on perimeter sensors."

"Oh what?! Way to go, Connie." Sasha whined pathetically as their Captain shooed them away into the nearby trees with a sack of alarm sensors. Armin waited nearby to confirm he was receiving the signals, creating a digital alarm system on his tablet. 

"So does that mean we can make just _regular_ fucking noises?" Hange giggled and rolled back into their tent with an amused snort. Levi paid it no attention, keeping his attention on overseeing the camp's setup. They were likely to be here for a couple of weeks so it was important to get this right first time round. 

Once everything was set up and ready, alarms ticking along nicely, Connie and Sasha returned in time for sundown where everyone crawled into their tents. The low tents had been strategically placed beside large shrubs and beneath stacks of foliage so as to not appear obvious, although the team would need to be cautious of animals taking shelter in the newly created dark spots. 

Shuffling into his compact tent beside Levi's empty bedding, taking his boots off and stretching out, Eren laid there listening to the noises and light chatter of everyone else getting comfortable. The crackle of radios switching off, rustle of wrappers and feint zips of tents. Levi clambered in some time later and Eren stayed lying there, eyes closed and resting. He allowed him to collect himself and leave his gear at their feet, sitting on the bedroll and sleeping bag Eren had laid out for him. 

"Hey." Eren said quietly, opening his eyes to greet the Captain. 

"Not bunking with Armin?" 

"Nah, he's with Marco. He knows, by the way." Honest was all Eren wanted to be with Levi, so he rolled onto his side to face the man who seemed surprisingly nonchalant about his admission. 

"Figured as much. He's a smart kid." 

"Yeah, figured it out himself." 

"I'd be worried if he didn't figure it out." Levi commented, lying down beside Eren and looking extremely tired from the hike. 

"Hange knows too." Levi said quietly, matter of fact. Eren's eyes widened a little in surprise. "Matter of time, I guess." 

"Do you think my dad knows?" Eren asked with a hint of caution in his tone. He wasn't sure how his dad would take to his involvement with Levi. He supposed for now, worse things had happened to him than possibly coming out to his dad. 

"Dunno." 

"What's the plan for tomorrow?" Eren asked, opting to save that conversation for another time. The walls here weren't thick enough for that sort of discussion, that much they both understood. 

"Rest." 

"Oh, sure." 

"Yeah..." 

Eren smiled softly and Levi closed his eyes, rolling onto his back. "Tired?" 

"Exhausted." Levi groaned quietly, sitting up before his body solidified into it's sleeping position, stripping himself of his excess layers, down to his bare chest before flopping back down again, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. Eren's voice dipped low and innocently asked whether Levi would like a back massage. 

"No funny business I promise." Eren tacked onto the end, sitting up. Levi let out a long sigh and Eren feared whether he'd decline since he was so tired but to his surprise he wordlessly rolled onto his front and pulled his balled up sweater under his head. Eren had brought along the oil he used for his scars, so quietly dug around his rucksack for it and returned to sitting beside Levi's side, squeezing a little on his palms and rubbing it into Levi's shoulder blades slowly. Levi let out a long sigh and moved his arms down to his sides, head tilted to the left with his eyes closed as Eren mimicked the various massages Levi had given him before to help with spreading in the oil for his back. He never really saw much of a point in improving the look of scars he never saw himself, maybe Levi just wanted an excuse to touch him. 

Either way, Eren wasn't complaining. 

The thoughts warming him, Eren silently kneaded out various knots and tight muscles, keeping his ears peeled for any signs of movement in the camp. The wildlife was all he heard aside from a few lingering rustles of sleeping bags and light conversation from the next tent over containing Ymir and Christa, with Connie's voice travelling past that from his own tent. Little chirps of 'move over' and 'stop fidgeting'. Eren even overheard Ymir telling Christa they'd have to get married when they made it back alive, only to be followed by an awkward laugh on Christa's behalf. 

He smiled to himself and strictly kept his hands from travelling too far around Levi's waist as he worked on the small tight spots on his lower back. His skin heated up beneath Eren's palms and the feeling must have been extremely soothing for the Captain. 

Once finished Eren delicately wiped off the excess oil with a tissue so Levi wouldn't wake up feeling overly sweaty and sticky and he leant over to inform him he'd finished but the man was completely out cold. His breathing was significantly deeper than when he'd first laid hands on him and his mouth was hung open as his cheek was squashed against his sweater-come-pillow. Through Eren's eyes it was positively adorable. Eren carefully tucked Levi beneath his sleeping bag, which was of use more of a blanket over actually wrapping the entire body. They tended to use blankets since they were quicker to spring from should action require it. 

Rolling quietly over onto his own mat and pulling his bag over himself, Eren laid there waiting for sleep to take him. It wouldn't be long, that much he knew. With each day of intense training his body was well accustomed to falling asleep quickly. Mix that in with his experience of the night time sounds and he was well equipped to living in the jungle. 

Just as he felt the first vestiges of drowsiness creeping in, Eren felt a shuffle to his side and felt Levi scooting up right beside him, curling their bodies together in the way he knew was most comfortable, an arm across Eren's waist and Eren's arm around Levi's shoulders. Eren shifted an arm to allow the older man closer access and the pair fell asleep comfortably beside each other.

While working and unable to physically express their feelings for one another it was only a small gesture, but it was enough.


	25. Observation

"Goooood morning sleepy heads!" Hange's voice shredded through the blissful warmth Eren and Levi were experiencing first thing the next day. Upon realising Hange's face was pressed up against the mesh window of their tent, the two scrambled away from each other, Levi glaring at Eren sleepily. Eren rolled onto his back and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. 

"Status report?" Levi muttered as he sat up, scooting toward his boots. His short hair was sticking up in virtually every direction, another trait Eren would silently catalogue under 'adorable'. 

"No movement all night. We're in the green." Hange announced, leaving the two to get up and get dressed. By the looks of it when Eren crawled out from their tent, they were the first to be woken up - and thankfully by Hange. The particular spot of forest they were set up in was fairly low in the valley, the sounds of a small river audible from behind the trees. Eren started on setting up breakfast whilst everyone else roused and unzipped themselves from their own tents. The camp was strewn with flak vests, drying trousers hanging from trees and a few soldiers walking around in only their pants. 

Nothing new.

A girlish scream was heard and Eren snapped his head up to locate it, getting a prime view of Sasha's boot flying across the camp, a very startled looking scorpion clinging onto it for dear life. Sighing and rolling his eyes, Eren returned to heating water and starting up teas and coffees. 

"Don't leave them outside Sasha!" Connie yelled. 

"Well it's not my fault they were wet and smelly!" 

Mike chuckled in the background as Levi yelled at them to "shut the fuck up!" 

"It's not going to get better, is it?" Armin said with a smile as he sat beside Eren. 

"Hey, Armin. How'd you sleep?" 

"Well enough. I'm fairly used to the noise now. Not sure I'll ever really get used to the gunshots though." The blond commented. Eren merely shrugged. He'd grown used to the distant rattles of gunfire fairly quickly as a ten-year-old. Even before then, living on the edge of the river closest to raid locations and a heavy-traffic checkpoint. 

"So Eren... How did _you_ sleep?" Armin asked, clearly amused, leaning close to Eren's side so they wouldn't be overheard, tone teasing and playful. That little shit knew exactly what he was doing by stranding Eren with Levi. Eren groaned and rubbed his face with a free hand, giving Armin a gentle shove with the other. 

"Just fine, no thanks to you of course." 

"I'd thought you'd be thanking me..." Armin said, feigning hurt as he sat back up, unable to keep the mirth from his eyes. 

"Yeah I guess I do need to thank you." Eren mumbled with a slightly awkward smile, keeping his attention on the boiling water and the mugs in front of him. 

"Any time. Right, gonna go scout out somewhere to wash, I think." Armin said loosely as he stood, not fully intending to go out into the forest by himself. Levi still picked up on it however. 

"Thanks for volunteering. There's a river downhill. Suit up and pick two others to join you." 

"Does it matter who?" Armin asked. 

"Not really." Levi said with a shrug. 

"Alright." Armin looked around, and as tempting as it was to choose Eren and Levi to tease his friend a little bit, they were both busy setting up other bits and pieces for the camp's operation (and caffeine levels). 

Armin ended up going out to the river with Marco and Jean, which suited Eren just nicely since he wouldn't have to listen to Jean braying first thing in the morning. They all suited up into their flak vests and strapped on their guns, creating a small path through the foliage as they left. 

Eren filled a few mugs, calling over various people as their orders were fulfilled, each person giving him a tired smile or a friendly 'good morning' as they took it and either left or sat down nearby to drink. Levi liked to leave his to brew for a good ten minutes, since he didn't like drinking boiling water, so he appeared much later than everyone else. 

"Thanks," he said as he took his tea over to Hange and Mike who were setting up a small tent for communications equipment, maps and excess gear, ammunition, the likes. 

Armin, Jean and Marco rustled their way back into camp roughly twenty minutes later after giving the river a good sweep, confirming the area free of any signs of human life and clear enough to bathe. It was high enough in the mountains that sure, the water would be freezing cold, but it was fresh. They could use it for fishing or even cleansing into drinking water. Perfect for what their objectives held in mind. 

"Muster up, troops!" Hange called, stepping out of the command tent along with Mike and Levi. Everyone gathered around on various logs placed around their fire pit, a few with lingering mugs or second helpings. "Alright, today's plan is carry on setting up, followed by lots of sleep if you can. Rest up." Hange begun. "The next two days will be Levi and Mike going ahead to pinpoint the camp and plot the perimeter and then for however long it takes, we're all on observation."

"We'll be on the lookout for clues to confirm intel on a secondary drug lab as well as documenting shift patterns. For these next few days please study the handbooks Eren so kindly put together on Titan slang. Even in the comfort of their own homes, although still Ragakan, their terminology may well sound foreign to you." Hange explained further, the team members focusing solely on Hange's voice. "We can't afford to mishear things or misinterpret directions. Not unless you fancy hiking for days in the wrong direction, in the rain. Is this clear?"

"Yes, Hange." The squad agreed.

"Alright. So while we're on observation we will be sticking primarily to the outskirts. Under no circumstances are you to enter the camp. If you give away our presence this mission will be rendered a failure. This cannot happen."

Mike stepped forward with a sheet of paper, handing it to his colleague who quietly thanked him. "Mike and Leci will be organising scouting points around the base, we'll let you know your positions once everything's been set up."

The team nodded and hummed in agreement and acknowledgement. 

"Alright Scouts, what is it you're doing today?"

"Washing my smelly feet!" Sasha cheered with a huge grin. Hange pointed directly at her, making her worry for a split second before blurting out an affirmation.

"Yes! Precisely!"

A few amused whoops and hollers from the men (and Ymir) and the squad were breaking away in small pairs and groups to go about their business. Eating, setting up signal boosters in the trees, trekking down the small hill to bathe and so on. Once night fell, the squad had a fully operational base camp, complete with communications to the military complex near Mitras. Eren and Levi didn't fall asleep up against each other, but surely woke up that way. It was what little comfort they could take from their environment and despite his meddling, both men appreciated Armin's move to bed them together.

With no Hange to wake them both up, Levi was up first to prepare for his work with Mike. Eren grumbled slightly as Levi getting up disturbed his light sleep, the rain not helping his slumber.

"Sorry Eren, go back to sleep." Levi whispered, kissing Eren's forehead affectionately.

"Mm'already awake."

"Go back to sleep anyway." Levi said a little louder. Eren seemed in no hurry to disagree and Levi cracked a slight smile, only to have the shit almost scared out of him with Hange's stupid grin plastered against the mesh window of his tent. "Fuck, do you want me to have a heart attack?" He scolded, glaring at Hange angrily. 

"But you look so adorable when you're sleeping! Like a curled up tiger!" 

Levi growled and leapt forward in no attempt to spare Eren the noise, unzipping the tent as Hange leapt back, squealing like a piglet running from a wolf. Levi was small but fast and before Hange could escape far, the disgruntled and concerned squad members were unzipping their tents to a sight they'd probably never dreamed of. 

Levi had tackled the taller soldier to the wet ground, straddling Hange's hips as he held their arms back against the small of their back. Hange, naturally was giggling like an idiot and Levi's grip only tightened, making them squeal in both pain and amusement. This was certainly the lightest they'd seen their Captain since after his previous (failure of a) mission.

"What's so funny, four eyes?" Levi snarled, although their audience soon realised it held no malice, judging by the sinister smirk plastered across the man's face and the amused way Mike smiled at the pair. They fought just like siblings, which Eren found endearing. He couldn't help but sit up and laugh at the pair as they squabbled in the middle of the camp in the light morning rain. A few other chuckles were heard before it all abruptly stopped as Levi stood up, freeing Hange. Mike was half dressed, sat in the command tent in his boxers and a rain poncho, nursing a cup of tea, simply waiting for them to finish.

"Hey, don't you have somewhere to be, Levi?" Hange goaded, brushing down their combats and poncho. Levi leant up close to Hange's ear and whispers, "I was doing it." 

Hange erupted into a joyous squeal and pattered their feet against the ground like an excited puppy, arms flapping along. Levi took the opportunity to head over to the command tent to his cup of tea waiting for him, courtesy of his non-annoying squad leader.

"Want anything to eat before we go?" Mike asked. Levi shook his head. 

"I'll just take a soup with me." 

"Alright. Gear's already prepped, so, should be fairly quick." 

"By what Yeager described, most of it is fields anyway, so if we start at the top and work our way around..."

"Sounds like a plan." 

The two men finished their drinks, got dressed and strapped everything on. They only had small rucksacks now that they weren't carrying tents and hammocks, which was helpful. Levi felt more mobile not being weighed down by the excess weight, carrying little more than a bag of freeze dried soup and a mug, his GPS, a camelback and his crossbow. Not that he'd be needing the latter, but just in case. 

Mike strapped his knife to his thigh and by the time they were kitted up the rest of the squad, bar Hange, who was manning the command tent on the other side of their radios, had rolled back into bed. Levi zipped up his own tent to spare Eren the rain and he mumbled a sleepy 'see you later' in response. 

The sun still hadn't fully risen, so it was slow going for the pair in their night vision goggles, trudging uphill through untouched rainforest for about fifty minutes. The deafening morning sounds of the birds, insects and local primates and other marsupials and rodents was more than enough to cover any noises their footsteps created. Neither men were lightweight by any means but were well trained in light-footedness. 

They started up to see small lights flickering in between the trees to their side. The terrain, as the sun rose, the men noticed was formed into a small indent of reasonably flat land, but definitely not sparse on plant life, following the central ridge of the valley leading down from the mountain. Fortunately nowhere they walked, they couldn't once see the cliff face they'd abseiled down, serving to ease their initial concerns.

"Confirming visuals on target, over." Mike relayed to Hange. 

"Great. How's it going over there?" 

"Just peachy." Levi interjected.

"Keep me updated."

"Sure." 

Mike wordlessly pointed to certain locations and both men moved into position, adjusting their night vision goggles to a binocular setting, digital distance scales flashing up onto the interfaces as the landscape glowed green. A few building-shaped objects could be seen but nothing clearer. So they crept closer. Once in position the men crouched low and oversaw what was definitely the largest Titan encampment they'd laid eyes on. There were a few armed guards wandering around on their first morning patrol but otherwise the camp was quiet. No one was awake yet, but this was definitely the place Eren had pinpointed. 

Large plastic barrels were stored in shabby lean-to's made of corrugated metals and plastics and similar to the lab they'd found Eren and Mikasa in, there was a large, open warehouse type building down the hill a little ways containing large barrels and sacks of leaves, evidence of harvesting all over. Tools strewn to the sides, hung up on trees and pathways trodden into the spaces between each tree. 

Hammocks were positioned with tarpaulins under the closer trees which were heavy with sleeping bodies and steam rose gently from various large tents. 

"Confirming target location. This is definitely what we're looking for." Mike spoke quietly into his receiver. 

"Got it." Chirped Hange over their earpieces. "The squad are up and studying."

"Good." Mike nodded. Levi was still observing the camp, clocking each and every detail of the perimeter. They would keep a safe distance as they made their way around the entirety of the camp, plotting their positions silently to be received and mapped out by Marco, Armin and Christa back at base camp. They would already have a complete perimeter on map by the time the two returned. 

Getting up and continuing uphill, the two men found the main road into the camp did in fact lead directly up toward the dip in the mountain's ridge. From their position at the very tip they were able to gain visuals on the camp which was like a fissure, torn straight down the mountainside in a narrow strip, small buildings and tent bundles the entire way down the main path, straight through to the bottom. 

By the time they'd reached the road, the Titans were up and active, multiple groups moving back and forth in patterns as they transported leaves and chemicals out, and product came back in. Eren had said he never knew where the finished goods went, it must have been back here. 

During a short interval between passing Titans, Mike and Levi kept low and darted across the road into the opposite brush, leaving no sign of their presence. 

Meanwhile, back in camp, Eren was busy pronouncing certain words for whoever asked, everyone huddled in the somewhat larger command tent studying their terminology packs on Titan lingo as the comms team oversaw Levi and Mike's progress, headsets on and listening to their feedback whenever it came. The pair worked more or less silently, and they were fast. Christa commented on their speed with awe whereas Marco just smiled in admiration, wishing one day to be as good as them. Armin had expected nothing less. Possibly even faster, but who was he to judge, it was his first real operation. If they were all lucky they would never have to see Mike and Levi's full potential. Surpassing even Erwin in skill, those two were the Scouting Regiment's cream of the crop. The elite amongst elite, seasoned by experience. 

"Alright so what does it mean when I say I'm going to 'herd the cattle'?" Eren asked. 

"Uh, you're gonna go clean your... I don't know!" Sasha whined. 

"Not even close, Braus!" Ymir chuckled.

"Well what do you say huh? Bovine expert that you are?" 

"It's slang for bringing the workers in from the field." Ymir said with only a hint of smugness. 

"Correct." Eren confirmed. Sasha scrunched her face up but otherwise remained silent as she stuck her nose back into her booklet. 

"Alright, Connie - what about 'digging holes'?" Eren asked.

"Oh! I know this!" He exclaimed, taking a moment to think it over. "Is it when they're preparing a hiding stash for their goods?" Eren nodded. 

"Know anything else about digging holes?" Eren asked Connie. 

"Uh, it's a bit of an opposite, I mean, they don't bury anything. They store it in animal products or trucks of timber when it goes through the checkpoints to Maria." Connie said with a shrug. Eren smiled and nodded at him.

"Great. Anyone else struggling?" 

Everyone sort of shrugged and kept their heads down, only Armin addressing the question. "I think it would be pretty useful if you kept speaking in that accent. I mean, I'm sure I speak in everyone's behalf when I say this, and please correct me if I'm wrong here, but we can tell it's Ragakan but it's the accent that throws me."

Eren hummed and nodded, setting his book down. The others huddled around didn't contest Armin's point so for the next few hours of studying, Eren used nothing but Titan slang in the thickest accent he could manage. He'd spent the last half a year around a lot of well spoken (by comparison) Ragakan speakers, so needless to say he felt slightly rusty. He still knew more than everyone else, though.

The few hours they spent going over words and phrases, Mike and Levi had managed to scout out roughly two thirds of the base camp. They'd plotted out the highest points, all long the back side and all the way down to the clearings for coca plants toward the rear. They were to head back the way they'd come and would pinpoint the remainder of the outskirts the next day.

They returned by nightfall to feed back exactly what they had discovered, keen for the new recruits to be as prepared as possible. Mike smirked to himself as Hange stood beside him, observing them all chattering in broken Titan Ragakan to one another around the camp. Levi made a beeline for the kettle. Once everyone was crowded back into the command tent, legs crossed or sat on their heels with the lack of seating, they debriefed. The headcount of rebel fighters in this base was easily in the hundreds. Mike or Levi couldn't make an accurate guess of total residents, but it would have been close to Eren's feedback of four hundred. Only roughly.

It was clear that there would be no engaging in the enemy at this point. Not here, nor now. They were outnumbered far too drastically. Mike got Hange to set up a comms line directly with Erwin so he could receive the co-ordinates as well as a progress update. Eren quietly listened as Erwin gave his orders over the microphone. 

"Remember. Do not engage at this location. Your orders are to locate the camp and move straight on to take out the lab. While you do that I will set up the air strike for as soon as you confirm the lab has been taken care of. It's too far out to send troops to destroy." 

"Yeah, we gotta take 'em all out in one go." Hange commented.

"Hmm. Quite right." Erwin said, the radio crackling quietly with his words. "The air strike will take about ten days to authorise and deploy so I want you to head back after the lab and stand by to take care of any stragglers."

"Sure thing, boss." Hange confirmed on everyone's behalf. 

The morning following Mike and Levi's return with a complete set of coordinates pinpointing the exact outline of the camp, the group had another muster before departing.

"I hope you're all nice and relaxed, ladies." Levi said as he approached with a mug in hand, steaming with a fresh drink. Eren had collected a few pieces of lemongrass on his travels and sliced it up into the hot water kettle. Everyone was loving it, particularly first thing in the morning. It was refreshing, especially when you couldn't access fresh lemons for flavoured water. Levi had practically ordered Eren to get more when he could and bring it back with him en masse, regardless of how cumbersome it made their rucksacks. The man was hooked. 

"Okay, so, lean close so you can see this..." Armin instructed everyone as he spun his tablet around to display a map of their nearby area. The points the two men had collected. The team huddled in close with the rain beating down hard over their command tent and shoulder to shoulder, everyone looked at what was being presented. The map had a long stretch down the mountainside and roughly one quarter of it was sleeping space and the rest of it was dedicated to the collection, sorting, packing and distribution of leaves. 

"This camp appears to exclusively be a work camp. We cannot confirm whether captives were sighted, nor do we have the manpower to escort them away at this point. When observing you will not engage with _anyone_. Is that clear?" Levi ordered. The team all nodded, soaking in his every word. "These coordinates are only the outline of the camp, where they live and work. They have approximately five times that amount of space beneath the camp at the flatter portion of the valley. This space is currently cultivated for growing coca plants or greenhouse tents set up to grow marijuana." 

Eren nodded along, remembering the camp well. The bottom half of the mountainside was covered in fields, bare and open to the sunlight with trees removed and turned into housing or tools. The plants were not exactly bushy, nor did they offer much cover, since they were constantly being harvested all year round. He remembered his and Mikasa's orders well, 'only pick the dark green ones,' accompanied with a shove in the back with the end of a gun and a hessian sack tossed over him to collect in. Oh how his fingers had bled. 

"We will be listening in to obtain the location of the new lab. A quick scout of their command tents offered us absolutely no maps or co-ordinates." 

"Anyway we've arranged certain spots for you all to man. You'll position yourself within earshot in the trees above, to the sides and in a few areas along the ground. Let me warn you now. This _will_ be boring." Levi said calmly, his expression giving away only the severe levels of boredom that were ahead of them. Depending on how long it took to gain the correct intel, they could be there for weeks. 

With their small, individual tablets strapped to their forearms with their personal locations (and the locations of everyone else) mapped in, the squad departed before sunrise. By the time everyone was in position, the sun would only just be rising. They would remain in position until it was dark and repeat the process every day, rotating locations until something was overheard. To give everyone a good scope of the camp locations, each spot was not linear. Point A was not right next to point B, it was perhaps somewhere in between F and I. Armin had suggested it this way and the leaders didn't oppose. It made sense, after all. 

The first day found Eren by the foot of the camp between the packaging areas and the fields. He was positioned right behind a guard house and he smiled at himself as he saw the position he was meant to take. There was a small group of trees bunched closely together, trunks splitting half way up, perhaps five meters up, which was the perfect area to lie against the bark and overhang the guards without being seen. The trees were thick and bushy, without any wasp nests. Eren appreciated Mike and Levi for their skill. Not only had they scouted the entire perimeter of the camp, but they had also plotted strategic hiding locations for each team member. There was no way of them being caught if everyone followed their orders, kept their heads down and kept their mouths shut.

"Position check, over." Hange ordered over the radio, some twenty minutes later when the squad on the opposite side of the camp will have made their way across the road and down the hill into their unique locations. While they were waiting for them to find their spots, confirmations buzzed through from Marco, Ymir, Christa, Jean, Mike, Levi and Hange. As well as Eren, once he'd nestled into his trees. Armin, Connie and Sasha were not far behind, soon chirping in with their own confirmations.

"In position!" Came Armin's voice finally over the radio. 

"That's it. We're all set." Hange announced. 

"Ears peeled, guys. You should all be far enough to be able to whisper into your receivers." Levi reminded everyone. "Use Eren if you need to." He added. Eren nodded, despite not being seen, although his focus was more on the two guards asleep beneath him, slowly waking up. As much as he wanted to focus on the fact that Levi's position was only four positions up from his own, the guards were getting up and talking already. 

"Morning." One said. Eren couldn't see them beneath their tarps.

"Hey. Sleep well?" 

"Yeah I guess. Gonna go take a shit." 

"Sure." 

"You getting up?" 

"Nah. I'll get up when you get back." 

"Lazy shit." 

"Yup." 

Eren internally groaned. If their conversation was going to be like this, he was in for a very long day. Hopefully he'd overhear something soon. Perhaps someone else in the squad would hear something closer to the command buildings or even the exit road. His fingers were crossed at the very least. 

About an hour in, checking his wrist tablet, Eren noted that Hange was in the location to his immediate right, which was in the trees above him. He looked, but couldn't see anything. (Which was probably a good sign). Checking his tablet again he noted that down in the fields overhearing whatever was due to be going on with the fields, would have been Christa. Again, no sight of her either. They'd probably positioned her in the centre of a field or something. There was no way of telling. 

"Man I'm so bored." Connie whined quietly over the comms. 

"Shush." Came Sasha's voice. "I'm trying to listen, here!" 

Seems people already had Titans waking up. With this, Eren focused back on his pair of field entrance guards and eavesdropped on the driest conversations he'd ever heard in his life. All day long. So the guy on the left was an avid knitter with a family in Maria. Two sons and a daughter he hadn't seen in years. The guy he was talking to was a 'lone ranger' with an unstable bowel and haemorrhoids that prevented him from doing any work aside from reading his book in the shade. 

The state of said piles would drastically change however whenever the man's superior walked by, Eren smirking to himself as the man stood up in no time flat and started barking orders at the workers, other Titans by the looks of it. Eren had remembered that they didn't keep many captive children or kidnapped people out this far. Eren doubted they survived this far out. Especially with the disregard they were treated with. Eren had surprised himself with staying upright for as long as he had, unable to rest unless he was unconscious and had a sack draped over his head. 

There wasn't a peek from his radios in a few hours. The chatter started up from Jean and Levi toward the end of the day who were positioned by the road at the southern, highest tip of the camp. 

"We've got incoming trucks." Jean reported. 

"Eyes on target." Levi reported a few seconds later as the truck drove in over the ridge on the narrow road and into the centre of the camp. From Marco's position he was able to report that the man driving had gotten out of the truck, a handful of soldiers getting off from the flatbed on the back and dispersing to their relevant sleeping areas. Nothing was overheard all day, nor for the next few days. Or the next week. The team were so bored it was unreal. As soon as they got back to their miniature camp they all dived straight into cooking or gear maintenance or card games or anything to stimulate the senses from their days of mind numbing boredom. 

The team were enjoying a rainless evening after the Titans had all gone to sleep and were all lazing around in a circle around their fire, sharing stories and secrets and tales of humour from their training days, including the seniors. 

"What about you Levi? What's the dumbest thing you've done with someone?" Marco asked with a smile. The man shrugged, currently lying on a bed roll next to Eren, legs and shoulders touching lightly as Levi and Eren were sandwiched (strategically) between Armin and Hange. 

"Uh. Probably the time my sister dared me to eat a starfish we found on the beach." 

Eren scrunched his face up in amusement and disgust and a few chuckles were heard from the others. 

"Oh boy that sounds nasty..." 

"Uh huh, it's like eating sandy, crunchy, gooey, raw seafood shit." 

"Yuck!" Christa commented, sticking her tongue out. 

"What about you Eren?" 

"Uh... Oh! Armin dared me to run through the beehives naked once. That was a stupid idea." 

"Ha! Your mom was so angry at us!" Armin laughed out loud, Eren soon joining in. 

"Yeah, my dad had to wait for me to fall asleep so he could pull all the stingers out. I think I still have a few scars from that you know?" Eren said, holding his arm out on Armin's side, Levi acutely aware of how Eren was now pressing his side into his own as he showed his friend his arm. The conversation carried on a little until Hange dared to tilt it into a certain direction, steering it more toward the crude and downright lewd. 

"Alright, so being completely honest, raise your hand if you've kissed someone." 

More or less everyone put their hands up. 

"Alright. Ever gone down on someone?" 

A few hands went down.

"Gone all the way?" 

Eren's elbow faltered, wanting to lower his arm but otherwise his arm remained up, his cheeks turning pinker the more personal the question became. Levi simply kept his hand up, or lowered it where he hadn't performed the deed. 

"Alright, that's good to know you've got a thing for animals, Jean... Moving on!" Hange chuckled, earning a "Hey!" from Jean and a giggle from his comrades. 

"Yes, that's what they eat!" More laughter and a now sulking Jean. 

"Okay, okay. What about shower sex?" Eren was growing suspicious by the minute and although Mike had a hand in the air and a cheeky grin on his face, Hange was snickering like an idiot as Levi kept his hand up and forced Eren's arm from lowering. 

"Hey, I haven't-" Eren tried to object, not wanting to give themselves away. 

"There wasn't a weekend threesome I wasn't invited to, was there?" Hange said, looking over Eren's, Levi's and Mike's raised arms. Even if Eren's was being held up by Levi, who was sporting a mischievous smirk.

"That's the thing about a threesome. There's only three people." Levi said with a small grin. Eren wanted to curl into a ball and hide forever as his team mates and training comrades gasped at him. 

"Since when did you have a threesome in a shower?" Armin asked, grinning. 

"I- You! I haven't!" Eren said in a hurry, quickly getting flustered with his inability to guide the conversation away from the train wreck he could see coming ahead. "There wasn't a threesome!" He eventually settled on, kicking himself afterward for not denying the whole thing.

"So there was shower sex?" Armin asked, the same grin from Levi's expression now plastering his. 

"Well it wasn't really- hey!" Eren exclaimed, shoving at his friends shoulder who just laughed at him, rolling over to the side in a fit of giggles. 

"So there was!" Ymir added with a grin. 

"You lot are awful." Eren said, folding his arms. Levi rested an arm over his shoulders before ruffling his hair. 

"We're fucking with you Yeager." Levi said before removing his arm, Eren's skin already missing the contact despite his embarrassment. Eren just groaned and Levi smirked at Armin who pulled him into an apologetic hug whether he wanted it or not. 

"Stop Armin!" Eren laughed out.

"Take the hug, Eren!" Hange chirped over the squad's amused giggles. 

"Yeah, that's an order!" Levi added, pouring himself a new cup of tea. Eren went limp in Armin's grasp and resigned to being the butt of jokes for the evening. With these last few weeks in Levi's direct company, the other teenagers had grown accustomed to and comfortable with his hard exterior and quickly learnt how relaxed he could be. Getting him out of the complex and out of danger and he was fairly easy going. You had to get used to his short, sharp way of saying things but once that happened and you realised he wasn't angry at you every time he had something to say, it was all smooth sailing.

"Alright then, we better get to sleep before it starts pissing it down again." Levi said following a few wide yawns from the soldiers.

"Good idea." Connie agreed, Sasha already dragging him with her to their tent. 

Eight swaps in, and therefore more than a week later with no information, Eren's day came where he was positioned in the coca fields. He smirked to himself upon spotting his hiding location. A large rock at the base of a slope where the fields split for a small portion of trees that were right in the middle of the current crop. Within this space was a flat board of wood covered with a camo net and a selection of leaves and logs. It was essentially a hole in the ground big enough for a body. Crawling in and listening to his squad confirm they were in location, he got as comfortable as he could and awaited movement. 

It wasn't long before he heard the birds and monkeys chirping and hollering through the neighbouring forest surrounding the crop clearings. The morning as noisy as it always was and probably would be. He heard footsteps nearby and the familiar rustle of leaf picking and tipped his head above the ground beneath the trees to get a look. There was a woman less than three meters away picking leaves and there was another man, dressed like a Titan not much further from her. 

The woman was wearing tattered clothing too big for her with a hessian sack tied to her hip as she expertly stripped the plants. Eren squinted as she turned around and recognition overwhelmed him. He didn't intend on making any noises, but he couldn't stop the only word that quietly erupted from him in shock.

"Hannah?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback me, reader-san :)


	26. East

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot what happens in this chapter and I can't remember if I edited it or not, but here it is anyway! I'll read over it this afternoon :)

"Hannah?!" Eren blurted, ducking low as the woman flinched and let out a startled yelp, her attention seeking out the sudden source of her name. A nearby Titan looked at her and Eren kept low, dangerously aware of giving away his position, especially given his strict orders not to engage in any way.

"What is it?" The man asked.

Hannah ran a hand through her hair quickly and brushed her foot against the floor. "I stood on a roach." That got rid of the Titan's attention and Hannah kept picking leaves closer and closer to the small patch of trees, making herself look busy as she tried to figure out who was there. Her shoulders relaxed as soon as Eren spoke up again, speaking in Karanese, her native tongue.

"Hannah it's Eren."

"Eren?! You're alive?!" Hannah said quietly to the plant in front of her, desperate not to get herself punished by bringing attention to herself. 

"Listen Hannah I can't talk long. You have two weeks to get out of here. The military are going to bomb the camp." Eren warned. 

"I thought you were dead," she mumbled, hands shaking as they slowed on her task as she tried to process the information. 

"I thought the same for you..."

Hannah looked around for a long moment before Eren finally spoke again. "I won't be here tomorrow. But I will be leaving at nightfall. Don't tell anyone, come back if you can." 

"O-okay."

Eren ushered her to continue working and he quietly resumed his eavesdropping for the remainder of the day. He found it peculiar that there was zero chatter over the radio today. No location confirmations, no Levi telling anyone to shut up, nothing. It was settling into dusk on the mountainside as Eren waited for Hannah's return. As promised she was able to duck low and spare a few minutes, although their reunion would be short lived.

"What are you doing here?" 

"I joined the military like I said I would."

Hannah smiled softly, although she remained alert. They would come looking for her any minute now if she didn't make an attempt to go back inside with the others to drop off their sacks of leaves.

"Hannah listen, we don't have long. The camp is going to be bombed in about two weeks. Maybe three. You have to get out as soon as you can," Eren warned her. Her face sank and she frowned.

"One explosion wasn't enough, huh?" Hannah's tone was exasperated, but quickly dissolved into defeat. 

"Get as many captive people as you can. You can't tell anyone who would tell the Titans, especially under questioning. Understand?" Eren spoke clearly and quietly, an uneasy dread creeping up the back of his spine the more he spoke. He desperately wanted to save as many innocent lives as he could but he also realised this in itself could compromise the entire mission and everything the scouting regiment had worked toward for years. Everything he'd wanted to achieve in life, dangling in the hands of a scared young woman from Karanese.

"I.." Hannah was cut off by a voice in the distance, getting her attention. She muttered a 'yes, I promise', before hurrying away. Eren would have to trust her. He had no choice. By now, the silence over his radio was becoming suspicious. He turned onto his side and looked down at it. Shit. When had he turned it off? He'd been so focused on waiting for Hannah to return he'd forgotten to switch it back on. As soon as he did, Armin's voice sounded in his earpiece.

"We've got a connection, Sir."

"Yeager, come in, over." Levi sounded more stern than he usually did, snapping the young man's attention straight onto his voice.

"Sir?"

"The fuck have you been? Was your position compromised?" His tone was serious and concerned. Fuck, he'd be in so much trouble, he could sense it. 

"Sorry Sir I must have leant on it earlier," he lied. He couldn't tell the whole squad he'd given himself away. He'd have to tell Levi, yes, but he'd wait until he was face to face. There was no response for what felt like a very long time and Eren held a breath as he waited for whatever came next.

"We've got co-ordinates for the lab. Get your ass back to camp. Now." Levi said. 

As soon as the coast was clear Eren made his way out from his small burrow and covered it back up. He couldn't help but wonder how Hannah had gotten out from the previous laboratory. Thomas and Mina had also hidden in the same spot, maybe they made it too? Eren shook his head and forced himself back to focusing on the way back to camp. He followed the crop fields to the base, passing through the forest until he hit the river, making his way back from the north. About an hour later when he returned, the camp was already full, fire burning and empty mugs strewn about. The squad must've been back for a while now.

"Yeager, with me," Levi said as soon as he was back in camp, earning a few stares from his squad mates and a couple of mutters from Jean and Ymir. He didn't have time to register what was being said as Levi was dragging him through the trees until they had an ear of privacy. Levi kept his voice low but it was still laced with an annoyance that made Eren want to shrivel up into a little ball and hide.

"The fuck was that today?" 

"I leant on my-"

"The truth." Levi cut him off without apology and folded his arms. He should have known the man he'd spent the last half a year with would be able to tell if he was being honest or not. Lying didn't come naturally to Eren, his face was too expressive to get anything past anyone, especially not his especially perceptive Captain.

"I saw Hannah in the fields." 

Levi's brow furrowed only slightly as he pieced the name together with that of Eren's past. His face otherwise remained stern, putting Eren in a position of unease. He didn't know how Levi was going to react. He wasn't likely to sympathise with Eren's emotions, nor get angry at his indiscretion, so all the brunet could do was wait. When nothing came, he spoke first. 

"I'm sorry Sir, I saw her and she was the only one near me and before I could stop myself I'd said her name and.. and.. I've fucked up real bad, haven't I?" Eren mumbled the latter part, looking down at his commanding officer with a pained, exasperated expression. 

"No." 

"Eh?" Was that it? "No what?" 

"You didn't fuck up. You did what any normal person would do, seeing someone you thought had died." Levi reasoned calmly. Eren's mind had told him all the various possibilities of a punishment coming out of this conversation he'd forgotten to see the obvious. Levi wasn't scolding him, nor was he losing his cool. 

"So what do we do?" 

"What else did you say to her?" 

"I uh, I said she needed to take anyone she trusted, captives, and get out before the next two weeks before the camp is taken out." 

"Hmm." Levi paused to think, turning on the spot and looking out into the forest. The lighting was dim and the insects created a strong, persistent hum all around them, flies occasionally zipping past as the frogs chirped and croaked in the background. "You trust her?" Levi finally settled on, turning to look at Eren again. 

"Yes." Eren had convinced himself he could in the time it took him to get back to camp. The word came out with the only confidence he could offer.

"Alright, then I trust you. I'll tell the team when we come back after the lab that we'll keep our eyes open for survivors. If they are healthy and can carry themselves through the jungle back to the collection point, we'll take them. If they can't move, we don't take them. Understand?" 

Eren let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding in, sagging with relief as the clouds rumbled with thunder above them. "Yes, Sir. Sorry Sir." 

"Cut out the Sir shit, you know my name." 

"Yes Sir!" Eren smirked as Levi regarded him with an unamused expression, the droplets of water starting to trickle down to the rainforest floor. As they walked side by side back to the camp, Eren paused for a moment and stood in the rain, looking up at the trees. 

"What is it?" Levi asked. Eren looked back down with a smile on his face.

"She's alive. After all this time." 

"Well, if you want her to stay alive, I suggest we get back to camp so we can rest. While you were off on rescue party, we confirmed we're moving out tomorrow morning." 

"Ah, so, beauty sleep yeah?" 

"That's the one. Hungry?" Levi asked as they let themselves back into camp, stepping over the wet logs and making their way over to the command tent where Hange and Christa had a small stove set up to heat beans and boil soup. 

"Yeah actually. Starving." 

Eren sat inside the tent beside Christa and she gave him a warm smile and a mug of soup, fresh from the pot. Levi received one shortly after, leaving it on their short table to cool before drinking it, looking out into the rainy evening camp as the light diminished. 

"Everything is okay then, Levi?" Hange asked. The man nodded once and grunted quietly, not taking his eyes from the water pooling in the mud around their doused fire pit.

"Levi's kinda got that moody twilight feeling about him today..." Hange commented between sips of soup. Christa smiled awkwardly and Eren focused on his mug. "You should have seen him today Eren, I mean, he almost sent a team out to get you." 

Eren looked up at Hange, then to Levi who was gently blowing the top layer of his hot soup, still watching the rain. "Yeah, he was stressed as fuck. Thought you'd been captured again." Hange elaborated, making Eren smile. They all sat in reasonable silence, Hange chatting lightly with Christa until the two men were done with their soup and retired to their tent for the evening. Levi had begun hanging his jacket up on the inside in front of the mesh window so Hange would be forced to 'mind their own fucking business'. 

Eren laid back against his mat and curled his sleeping bag around himself. The thunder had grown steadily closer and the rain was extremely heavy now, rattling tents and knocking things over outside. Eren always found storms strangely soothing, at least from the comforts of a shelter built sturdy enough to keep him dry. 

The gentle song of insects became inaudible over the rain and Eren felt a warm heat press up against him as Levi crawled into bed, scooting against his side. He smelt a little of mint from where he'd brushed his teeth and Eren turned his head to give him a smile in the dark as the clouds shook and rumbled above them, heavy drops of water splattering against the leafy covers of their tent. Eren faintly heard Christa's voice from the next tent over but it was extremely muffled, even with Ymir's loud voice.

Levi cuddled up to Eren's side and rested his head against the young man's shoulder. Eren tilted his head to rest against Levi's and he heard Levi speaking softly.

"You're safe." 

Eren wrapped an arm around Levi's shoulder, getting comfortable and he felt Levi's palm moving across his torso, down his stomach to gently play with the hair just beneath his belly button. Eren brushed his thumb against Levi's shoulder as they lay there in the dark, wide awake and holding each other. 

"I'm not going anywhere." Eren promised. 

Levi's response was muffled by a crackle of thunder in the distance, so the man leant up over his younger subordinate and kissed him sweetly. There were no tongues or roaming hands, just skin on skin, eyes closed and arms around each other. Eren shuffled beneath Levi as the man's hand roamed below his boxers, teasing the skin there as he traced his fingers along the hairline. 

"I thought you said strictly professional on missions?" 

Levi pushed himself up and flung Eren's sleeping bag off him, swinging a leg over his hips and straddling him. Levi brushed his hips lightly against Eren's (completely on purpose) and Eren let out an involuntary gasp which was swallowed whole by the heavy rain all around them. 

"You promised to keep _your_ dick in your pants. I didn't."

\---

Sex in the jungle during the rain had definitely been interesting. Levi evidently got a kick out of the thrill of getting caught, being so close to his squad's tents (as well as defying his own orders). It was hot and sticky, a little uncomfortable in certain angles and definitely fun. They had gone slow enough to not be heard and woken up in a spooning position, Levi holding Eren's arm against his chest with a vice like grip.

"Well you're no fun!" Hange commented, poking their tent. Eren groaned as he was woken up and Levi was still curled up against him. Eren tilted his head up to try and get a gauge on the time but Levi's voice interrupted him.

"Move and I zip tie you to Kirschtein again."

Sold.

Eren cuddled back up against Levi and kissed his neck before the pair dozed for another fifteen minutes. When they got up, everyone else was also in the process of waking and rising. The morning birds were chirping over the soft morning hum of crickets and insects, a sound which, after spending enough time in the jungle, would become more soothing than oppressive. It was this ambience that was responsible for Eren and Mikasa's inability to sleep soundly in their quiet hospital room. It was also the reason Eren always insisted on keeping a window open during the night,non matter where he slept.

"Get everything packed but we're not taking everything with us. Got it? Hammocks for this one, okay?" 

"Yes Sir," came the chorus from multiple squad members as they uncovered their tents, eager to wrap everything before it rained. They were due a couple of days without rain, which was going to be nice. An opportunity to wash and dry socks and underwear, which was exactly the task Eren was given. He wasn't fussy about hand washing clothes and Levi had said he was the most competent at cleaning out of everyone. 

The river was uneven, rocky and shallow, but it offered enough clear water to bathe or wash clothes. There was a short waterfall between the trees that thickly surrounded the mossy rocks and stream, so only a sliver of morning sunlight managed to make its way through the fog and trees. Once everyone's clean socks were strung up between a pair of trees, Eren turned to look at the river, freezing as a large spotted cat crouched beside the water on the other side of the river, looking straight at him as it lapped at the water. 

Eren would never tire of the Jaguar's beauty. He knew they could be dangerous but if you left them alone they generally did the same. He trudged back up to the camp to help pack away but by the time he'd arrived most of the heaviest work had been done. The tents stripped to their poles and the disturbed foliage placed around so as to not look conspicuous. Hange was adjusting the radios and the boys were all strapping tents into their bags and rolling bedding as the women (and Levi) organised breakfast. 

"Yeah boys and girlies, enjoy your last home-cooked meal. After this it's all hunting from here on out." Levi said with a smirk. 

"You mean we're almost out?" Sasha tried to contain her voice, failing horribly. 

"Not almost. This is it." Levi said, pointing at the pot he had going, casually bubbling away over the fire he'd put together. 

"Aw, man." Sasha whined. 

"It's not that bad, Sasha." Eren said upon his approach. "Think about it this way, at least we will be carrying less weight." 

"Hmm. I guess you're right. That and hunting is actually pretty fun." 

"See?" Eren chirped, thanking Levi as the man held out a bowl of plain oatmeal. The others received theirs, adding honey or what little they had left of their sachets of jam. Levi and Eren preferred theirs plain. Once they'd finished, Levi shuffled beside Eren and sat on the same log, holding out a piece of foil wrapped... something. 

"What's this?" Eren asked. 

"Open it and find out." So Eren did. He stared at the contents with surprise. 

"You still have some left? How the hell have you kept this hidden?" 

"There's enough for everyone." Levi said with a shrug. "Figured it'd make a nice treat before it's all fruit for sugars." 

"Fair enough. I wonder how it holds out in the heat.. It's been weeks. Think it's still good?" 

"No idea. You baked the shit out of it so it's dry anyway. Should be fine." 

"Sorry to interrupt your little domestic here, but what are you talking about?" Armin interjected with a smile. Eren held out the unwrapped foil, revealing a dozen or so small pieces of his homemade honeycomb. 

"What is it?" 

"Uh, what did we call it in Ragakan?" Eren asked Levi. 

"Dry toffee or something?" 

"Yes! That's it. Try it Armin, it's got nothing but pure sugar in it, you'll love it." 

Armin tentatively picked a piece and nibbled it, the rest of the squad waiting to see what his reaction would be. Once his face melted into pleasant surprise, the rest of them huddled around to get their piece. 

"Yeah, yeah. One each, this is all we have." Eren said as a swarm of hands plucked at the sweets in his hand. 

"This is great, Eren. Did you make it?" Marco asked. 

"Yeah. My parents taught it to me when I was little. I grew up on a honey farm." 

"Sweet." Jean said, earning a few chuckles at his non-intentional pun. Finally Eren offered a piece to Levi, who smiled and took a piece. Eren took his own piece and wrapped the final piece up, giving it back to Levi. 

"There's one left, you have it." Eren said with a smile. 

"I won't say no." 

"How'd the laundry go Eren?" Hange asked, noticing he hadn't come back with anything. 

"Oh, it's all done it's just drying by the river." 

"Great. Can't wait for fresh pants, man. Seriously." 

"Yeah, no one wants to hear about your crusty underwear." Levi quipped, earning him a few giggles from the squad as they polished off their cinder toffee. 

"They aren't crusty! .....any more." Hange admitted with a snicker, followed by even more laughter and disgusted snorts from a few. 

"They weren't that crusty." Eren added with a smirk. 

"Alright ladies, back to work!" Levi barked as he stood up, back into action. "Eren take the dishes to the stream and go get Hange's non-crusty pants." 

"Sure." 

By the time he'd eaten breakfast and caught up with the squad, the sun had burnt off the fog and his string of drying socks and underwear were still in the trees, just not where he'd left them. 

"Crap!" Eren blurted as he watched a group of startled monkeys scatter, along with a few socks. He managed to collect a good few pairs of underwear and noticed a monkey making off into the trees carrying Hange's boxer shorts. 

"Crap crap crap! Give those back!" Eren yelled at the monkeys who just snickered and ran off, climbing away from reach and playing with the underpants. He ran over to the trees where they'd retreated and a few dropped their stolen socks, a few made off for good with Hange's pants. Growling with frustration, but pleased he'd salvaged most items, and dry at that, Eren made his way to finish his chores and headed back into camp. The story of monkeys making off with Hange's pants would be a funny one to tell. One Hange would never fully believe but made everyone laugh a little more, which was needed given where they were headed. 

Arguably the more dangerous part of their mission, taking out the drug lab to the east, this part would entail actually engaging with the Titans. Shots would be fired and if they weren't careful comrades could die. Eren would milk the monkey story for all it's worth and the squad, provided they made it out of the jungle, would never let Hange live it down. The only regret Levi had about the entire incident was not being present to see Eren chasing monkeys running off with them.

"Think about it, guys." Hange started as they started uphill with all of their gear. "There's a little piece of me out there, somewhere in a distant treetop, warming baby monkeys..." 

"That or there's a shit load of them, dead somewhere." Levi said with a smile, rolling his eyes as they pressed onward uphill. The plan was to find a suitable location outside of the blast zone for their heaviest pieces of gear, leave it there in the trees where it wouldn't be stumbled upon by animals, and return once they came to check for survivors. They just needed to trek over to the east side of the encampment where the mountains were steeper. It took a little longer than usual given the harsher conditions and the ground in most places was still saturated with rainwater, despite the sun shining in the sky. 

Levi pulled his sunglasses up over his head, resting them in his hair as he looked around.

"This'll do." Mike commented as the end of the line made their way to the same spot. 

"It's close enough to the top and we've got good signal here." Hange provided.

"That's good enough for me. Strap up the excess like we discussed." Levi ordered and everyone unbuckled their rucksacks, unhooking their smaller supply packs to take to the east. Once the excess was safely stored and covered, the soldiers were left with a couple changes of clothes, ammunition, weapons and their flak vests. Mike and Ymir carried the explosives and the rest of the squad had their standard issues, plus their grappling gear strapped to their hips.

"Let's move out." 

Their coordinates to the lab led them parallel to a busy Titan road. Mules were used for pulling carts where bikes or small trucks wouldn't fit. The squad had to keep quiet and travel was slow in the untrodden forests. They followed boar tracks or small patches of forest carved by animals in one way or another. Where they didn't have clear space to move, Mike led the way with a machete, cutting a path through the spiked vines and thick ferns.

The main issue the squad found, which wasn't all too different to the city, was that during the wet season on days with little rain, the mosquitos were everywhere. All of the time. All day, all night. A lot of the team travelled slowly with their shirts pulled up over their noses and mouths, so as not to breathe any in. Some of the patches of mosquitos were so dense they had to purposely find alternate paths around them. The hot, moist air only made bites itch more, an experience no one was free of. Eren had told the team during their next wash to leave the soap on the skin. It wouldn't deter all of them but it would help.

Mike gestured for everyone to duck down, which was received quickly. Eren crouched between Marco and Ymir as they waited for another convoy of rebels to pass by on their way out of the laboratory. The Titans sent a delivery once per week, so following the tracks would prove useful. With coordinates however, they wouldn't be mislead. They couldn't afford to go astray with this mission. They'd come this far, getting it right the first time over was their only option. Erwin wouldn't accept failure yet again. 

With a couple flicks of his fingers, Mike prompted the squad into movement again. The weekly trip had passed them in one direction and they'd left just after one departed the main camp, so they didn't plan on running into any other patrols until they reached the lab. It took three days of hiking along uninhabitable jungle mountainsides before they met their first major landmark. The land had become much flatter in those days, leaving way for a much less dense forest. 

According to the map, there was a separate river on this side of the mountain which spread itself out generously upon hitting flat land, pooling into small ponds and swamp-like bayous between the thick buttress-rooted trees. The flatter land was great for the speed of their travel but wouldn't help their stealth. Camouflage ponchos were therefore pulled on over faces smeared black, green and brown. Armin and Christa grimaced as Ymir and Eren combed clay through the sides of their blonde hair and despite the heat everyone was ordered to strap their helmets on. A pointless death wouldn't suit any of them. 

"Can I get a read on our location, Armin?" 

"Sure, Hange. Four miles west of target, one mile north of their supply route. I can't get a satellite image of the ground but it looks - from what I can see between the trees - that the next three miles is all swamp."

"You don't need a satellite image to tell you that," came Jean's snide remark from the front of the small formation, gesturing with his arm out to the great expanse of swamp before them. They had come up to a dead end for dry land and were presented with nothing but boggy marshland hidden beneath the bushy canopies. The air was thick with moisture and smelt a lot different to regular waterlogged areas from rainfall. This water was stagnant and smelly, unmoving with a shimmering film of natural decomposition oils coating the top, colours dancing like mating tropical birds. With the hot air and lack of rainfall, insects skittered over the surface of the water and the hum of bugs was almost deafening. 

"Alright then. We go through." Levi said. Faces were pulled but no one dared make a noise of complaint. Not with the detestable look on Levi's face that suggested he was less than pleased about trudging into a swamp for only the swamp gods knew how long. Trouser legs were tucked into boots, or in Eren, Jean and Connie's cases bare legs from shorts were surrendered to the waters. The water was cold and reached the tops of thighs, guns held to chests above the waterline, and once they got moving the stagnation seemed less obvious. 

"Hey, hey Connie." Eren said. 

"'Sup?" 

"Let's see who can unintentionally collect the most leeches." He said with a devilish smirk directed at Jean who glowered at both of them. 

"You're on! I think I feel a few already." Connie said with a confident chuckle. Eren simply grinned. Connie would know what they felt like when he _really_ caught one. Or more he'd find out after he'd caught them. Either way Eren looked forward the looks on Jean and Connie's faces when they emerged again from the water. There was no way of telling how many they'd collected until after they got out, since the canopy shadowed the water, making it appear black, even up close. 

The few spots of sunlight that peeked through were enough to shoot straight through the dark water, straight to the bottom where their footprints trudged up the waterbed, leaving the swirling stagnant water murky in their wake. Large fish and surprised amphibians skittered and jumped away when they waded past and the team even passed a few hissing caiman. Nothing too large to be worth avoiding, only small ones. By the time the adults showed up they were long gone. 

Eren smiled to himself as he took in the new surroundings. There hadn't been any of this kind of terrain when he stayed in the jungle since he was mainly in the mountains, but the difference was pleasant either way, even if the air was thicker and hotter. Dragonflies and water surface insects darted about between the brush as Mike cut his way through some heavier foliage. The plants he cut back were teeming themselves with insect nests, birds and the team even crossed paths with a small troop of capuchin monkeys. 

"You doing okay back there?" Ymir asked Christa gently. She just nodded. Her and Armin were struggling a little holding their heavy rifles up above the water, so Ymir strung Christa's over her shoulder despite the shorter blonde's complaints. The water came up to chest level on the two, plus Levi, but the Captain had no trouble holding up his lightweight crossbow. It was for this reason, and since Eren had the same crossbow, that the brunet offered to carry Armin's rifle. He shook his hair and insisted on carrying it himself, no matter how tired it made him. 

"I might need it." Armin reasoned, leaving no room for argument as Eren carried on through the water. The squad's attention drifted to wherever the person ahead of them tended to look. So, if Mike spent a moment at the helm of the line looking up at whatever creature was there to be seen, so too would Levi's attention follow it, and so on. Eren's attention was everywhere, devouring new sights, sounds and different swamp animals. His favourite had to be the trio of hyacinth macaws sitting on a branch above the river they were in, silently watching them as they sat in a small patch of sunlight, blue feathers and yellow beaks shining in the warm light. 

They waded through the water for almost two hours before finally reaching solid ground again. By this time a lot of the paint had smeared from their faces from the sweat of wearing a helmet in the muggy heat, shirt patterns and the fronts of their flak vests coloured with wet greens and browns. It was a relief to get out of the cold water, which left their wet skin tingling from the cool temperature and the prolonged exposure. 

The unimpressed look on Jean's face was enough to make even Levi smirk. The sharpshooter was looking down at his legs which were peppered with little black leeches, about an inch long but thick with stolen blood. Ymir scrunched her nose up at the sight of the three boys with their uncovered legs dripping with leeches. In the end, Eren acquired three, Connie five and Jean fourteen across both legs. With a little encouragement from Mike's lighter, all leeches were removed and a thick antibacterial gel pasted over all areas bitten by Christa with a rubber glove on. Snickers were exchanged as Mike burnt a leech off from Jean's groin. Needless to say having fire so close to his balls was an uncomfortable experience. One that although unpleasant for himself, made the squad shake with held-in laughter. 

When they were all quite finished with de-leeching (even those clothed checked themselves over for bugs or injuries, anything being tended to by Christa, including the squad's mosquito bites), they moved onwards to find an open body of water with a clear raised trail leading straight across through the middle. Visuals confirmed that the Titan drug lab must have been on the opposite side of the watery clearing, making it virtually impossible to approach on foot by day. They would be right out in the open in four to five feet of water, no trees for cover. 

"Shit." Levi muttered as he lowered his binoculars. "Looks like we're moving out at night. Not ideal, I know, but we have little choice." He didn't need to point out that the Titans had surrounded themselves with a tree-less body of water. They had the perfect vantage point. 

The cadets in particular turned to Armin, trusting his opinion probably equal to their Captain's. He shrugged and nodded along. All of the more dangerous animals of the jungle lurked into life during the night, and some of the most poisonous ones often dwelled in water. It was a double whammy but a risk they would have to take to reach the camp without being detected. Upon a bit of observation from afar for two days they established that the Titans had a night team patrolling the 'bridge', although it was a sparse and hourly attempt at maintaining security. Usually by multiple people. They had tightened their patrols and increased guards since their last sting operation. 

The camp Eren had stayed at, no one patrolled at night. They felt safe in the middle of nowhere in the mountains, weeks away from anywhere, so Eren was surprised to see this level of devotion to protecting their lab this time around. Perhaps they learnt from last time. 

The third night positioned just out of sight beyond the long, thin lake, the squad would fix silencers to their rifles and move in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huehuehuehe remember that storm coming that everyone's been dreading? Next week, baby! Mwuahahahahaaaa!


	27. Boom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The squad perform their raid on the drug lab in the east, will they be successful?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for blood and gore in this chapter.

Sat at a familiar solid wood table, Eren smiled brightly as Carla brought him a glass of steaming milk, stirring in the honey well. 

"Let it cool before you drink it." Carla's warm voice echoed through Eren's ears, making him smile fondly. The sound made him feel safe and at home, young again. Nothing bad had happened in his life yet. His dad was there too, helping to cook, various familiar coats and jackets hung on the walls and the warm, sweet air mixed with the large bouquet of fragrant flowers he'd never noticed before sat in the kitchen window, the blue glass shining in the sunlight. The memory felt a little bit out of place, as Eren sat a little taller in his seat than he used to. It didn't in any fashion dull the nostalgia, and he could tell it wasn't real, but it didn't stop him from completely indulging.

Every ounce of his being desperately wanted for this hazy mirage to reflect his current reality. So much so that anything happening in said reality was pushed as far from the front of his mind as possible, leaving his body and mind blanketed in blissful warmth. 

"What's for dinner dad?" Eren asked, smiling contently as he picked his glass of milk up and blew the top before sipping carefully. There was a soft tingle on the tip of his tongue where he recalled the numerous times he'd burnt himself on hot drinks, too impatient to wait and too stubborn to heed advice. 

"Your favourite," Grisha replied over his shoulder, smiling at Eren briefly before returning his focus to cutting vegetables. "My homemade fish stew." Eren grinned ear to ear and a scuttle to the side, near the front door, caught his attention. For a split second his mind drawled up a brief flash of fear, a memory, a conjured image, something, although before Eren could truly register its meaning the haze was restored and Mikasa walked through the front door wearing the same floral dress he'd met her in. The dress wasn't worn or tattered, rather flowed around her legs and hips effortlessly with the breeze let in alongside her. She smiled as she approached and hugged Carla, exchanging greetings. 

This was nice, all of Eren's favourite people together in the same place, sharing in the same fond memory. Mikasa accepted an apron from Carla and tied it around her waist to wash her hands and help with preparing the fish. By the looks of it it was fresh from that morning's market, still in need of gutting and de-scaling for Grisha's pot. The cotton coating Eren's nerve endings shifted again as his mind attempted to deliver something he'd suppressed and as it mended itself once again, Eren became aware that Levi was in the house with them at the same time.

When had he gotten here? Eren supposed it didn't much matter.

He was stood by the front door in the entrance hall, but made no attempt to come closer. He was just standing there. Eren didn't give it much more thought because soon his attention was back on his family in front of him, chatting lightly between themselves, the sizzling of spices hitting hot oil and sweet laughter of Eren's two beloved women.

He sat still, completely at ease as he sipped what felt like a never ending glass of milk. Each sip felt repetitive, each gulp not filling him nor sating his thirst. A peculiar feeling, as if he was caught in a loop. Oh well, Eren mused. It felt so lovely sitting in one place, not needing to be anywhere or do anything or perform for anyone, take any orders or make any choices. 

"Hey Eren?" Eren looked around when he realised the voice wasn't his father's or his own. It had come from down the hall where Levi was stood, but it sounded so close it was almost as if he were whispering in his ear. Since this was all a dream or a figment of his imagination, that would explain it. The back of his mind still twitched with familiarity though. It was too real to be imaginary, but Eren let it be, listening to the voice and letting it soothe him. 

"Hmm? Oh, Levi. Hey," Eren mumbled in return, although he couldn't quite be sure that any sound left his lips. 

"Eren?" 

"What, what is it?" Eren asked, a little more volume in his voice this time, albeit still groggy. 

"Can you hear me Eren?" Levi said between chatter coming from those in the kitchen. Grisha, Carla and Mikasa's voices became more blurred together, forming more of a general background noise in Eren's mind as Levi spoke to him. Levi's voice was the clearest thing in Eren's ears and despite him being down the hall he couldn't explain the clarity. 

"Yeah, what Is it?" Eren asked, turning to look down the hall. Levi was shrugging. 

"How about you get up?" Levi proposed. Eren didn't understand. He was so comfortable, his hands were warm and his senses were being pampered from every angle with nostalgia. He felt safe, so why move? 

"Why? I'm okay here..." Eren said. 

"You have to get up." Levi said again, more firmly this time. It was more of a statement. Still calm and quiet in tone, but more conviction when he spoke. 

"Are you staying for dinner?" Eren asked Levi, but he didn't respond. Odd. He was looking at the front door now which opened slowly behind Levi. Eren watched, immobilised with comfort as a tall, bandana clad man walked through slowly, letting himself into the kitchen. Eren felt a bit strange with the sensation this man was giving off, weird vibes, as he sat down at the table opposite him. Carla brought the man a glass of milk and he nodded at her, keeping the glass in his hands as it rested on the table. 

"Let it cool down first." Eren told the man before he realised he was even speaking. He felt tired, heavy. Aches and pains crept into his skin and bones ever so subtly. Eren tilted his neck to get more comfortable and the aches passed, leaving him feeling warm and fuzzy again. Lovely. 

Something about the man sat opposite him, the way he stared straight at Eren put him on guard slightly. He didn't understand why he felt this man was being hostile, but he knew to be wary. Something about him didn't sit right but he couldn't place the time or location he'd met this man. He recognised him, just didn't know where from. All Eren knew was that he didn't belong at the table with him and his family. Levi was calling from the hall again, filling his ears with nothing but his voice. 

"Get up Eren, you lazy shit," Levi said with a playful undertone to his seriousness. Whether or not Levi was actually saying it like that or whether Eren's mind was contorting the words, Eren wasn't sure of. He enjoyed the feeling it gave him though, familiar and soothing. 

Eren turned his attention back to the man opposite him and the lighting in the room suddenly felt different. The smells were gone, no sunlight beaming through the now empty windowsill and everyone had stopped what they were doing. Eren furrowed his brows as he cast his gaze around the room, a stale taste left lingering in his mouth. Everyone was facing away from him except for this one man. He shouldn't trust this man. Where did Levi go? Actually, where did everyone go? 

Sat alone at the table with a now half empty, moulding glass of cold milk, Eren glared at the man. 

"Why are you here? What do you want?" Eren asked as he felt the edges of his beautiful memory fissuring at the delicately stitched seams. As long as it had felt he was within the safe confines of his kitchen at home, it was being torn apart in an instant as realisation speared him through the chest. He felt a familiar ache, deep in his bones, the pain settled back in and his whole body was screaming at him. 

This wasn't right. None of this felt right any more. Why couldn't he just have his peace and quiet and enjoy a home cooked meal with his family? 

Oh yeah, that's right. 

Eren gritted his teeth and glared at the man opposite him. He just sat there, as if completely innocent of stripping his warmth away from him. He was too young to fight back, too weak to hold onto the life given to him by his parents. Tears threatened to fall as Eren cast his attention back to the corridor. Levi was stood in the doorway to the kitchen, leaning against the frame of the arch.

"Levi?"

"Get up Eren." 

"What's happening, Levi?" Eren stood from his seat and suddenly felt lightheaded and dizzy, his entire body feeling hard and cold against the ground. Since when was he lying down? He could still see the ceiling of the kitchen, although there was no colour, blurred edges to his vision and no one there beside Levi who was now crouching above him. 

"Get up." 

The comfort Eren felt was not returning, every suppressed emotion and feeling, memory and experience, good and bad, all bubbling up in one go, shattering the pleasantries and wracking his body with weight, flattening him to the ground with burden. 

Distant gunshots crackled and popped and Eren's nose burnt with the smell of smoke. He knew he ought to get up and run, but his body wouldn't obey. He lay there on the ground feeling like dead weight as Levi hovered above him, carefully holding his chin to point Eren's face toward him. 

Eren blinked and with it the final remnants of his dream (or hallucination, Eren wasn't sure,) went with it. There were dark trees above him, loud gunshots all around him and smoke everywhere. He felt an uncomfortable tightness around his shoulders and felt the ground moving beneath him before Levi's voice sounded out again, this time sounding more desperate. "Get up, Eren!" 

Slowly he realised what it was he was seeing around him. The earth was moving beneath his body and his vision cleared enough to spot what could have been a Scout's uniformed body lying face down in the dirt, head blown to pieces and pooled in dark crimson. He blinked away more of the grogginess but his limbs wouldn't cooperate. He was definitely awake, there was no doubt about it. With everything that had happened in the last couple of hours flooding back to him in an instant, Eren coughed and the movement stopped, the tightness around his shoulders loosening as Levi reappeared above him. 

"Fuck Eren, you okay?" Levi's hands were on Eren's cheeks, his face splattered with fresh blood and his uniform dirtied and red. Eren tried to scoot into a seated position and Levi helped him. "Do you feel okay? I can't see any wounds." 

"I feel fine, just, my neck hurts..." Eren complained, still trying to get used to the noise and the unusual levels of light for this time at night. 

"Yeah it'll hurt, get up we need to go. Now. We're the last ones out here." Levi ordered and Eren staggered to his feet as quickly as he could, his body finally responding as his head throbbed. They ducked past a few dead bodies, mostly Titans, but one was definitely a scout, before plunging into the water of the swamp In retreat. Eren's heart lurched in his chest at realising what Levi had said. Were they the last ones alive of their entire squad? Surely not...

"Where is everyone?" Eren asked as they waded through the water quickly. 

"They're waiting for us across the swamp." Levi said quickly. "Get up, let's go."

\--- 

Three hours earlier...

Crouched in the bushes at the entrance road to the secluded and water-separated laboratory in the north eastern Ragakan jungles, Levi's squad had been waiting until nightfall to finally approach the target. The plan was to destroy the product and chemicals if they could using grenades. The raw materials they used had to come from the city, so it was top priority to make their life as difficult as they could. With the air strike on their fields, their production should halt to a stop indefinitely, or at least it would highlight if they had other supply centres elsewhere in the jungle. Erwin's money was on this one being the main camp though, and Levi agreed. It was big enough to supply the levels of drugs they were trafficking.

"As Oluo would have said, now is the time to choke back your fears - shoot to kill. Not a single living body leaves that camp unless it's got a scouts uniform on, got that?" Hange said firmly to the newer team members. They all turned to look at the camp they were about to eliminate before looking back. 

"If we pull this off, this goes to them." Levi said to Mike and Hange quietly. They both solemnly nodded. 

"Alright. You all know your positions, keep your heads down and keep your mouths shut." Levi said. 

"Roger that." Hange affirmed and the squad all nodded along, darting off into position. They had four troops heading in through the water on the sly and Levi and Mike led the main team down the entrance path. The green light was given and through his night vision goggles Levi saw the side teams advancing. The plan was to take out as many as they could silently before making any explosive noise.

Creeping across the pathway between the swamps was easy but slow. The ground underfoot was boggy and waterlogged, every footstep making squelching noises. Any time a light shone past them the team froze. Eren kept his eyes on the sides and fortunately the four pairs couldn't be seen anywhere. At least they were doing their jobs effectively. Even knowing they were there, Eren had to admit he found it difficult spotting them. It was impressive. 

"Status report." Hange whispered lowly into the radio. All four pairs came back almost simultaneously saying they were in position, having crept from the water and circled the camp. Levi's team squatted down and raised their weapons, silencers already in place and peering through their scopes. The perimeter teams did the same, taking aim. The plan was to get Ymir in close enough to their main, singular sleeping tent. Observation of the camp confirmed they all slept in one place, so if they could get a couple of grenades in there before anyone was spotted, they could take out most of them in one go. 

Without a single hitch, Ymir moved forward into the camp and popped a grenade, slinging it into the tent and running back into position. From Eren's position they all heard a loud crack followed by yelling. The perimeter teams all pressed into the camp at the same time, firing at any remaining live Titans they could see. 

"Check the tent." Levi ordered Eren. He kept his crossbow up against his chest and braced himself before approaching. There were smouldering chunks of human body lying shattered amongst the destroyed hammocks and flames licked at the nearby trees. Eren glanced over his shoulder and observed the team having no issues taking out what few guards there were, but something felt wrong. His attention turned back to the bodies before him and none of the cadavers in one piece were wearing Titan bandanas. No weapons were nearby, either. 

Before Eren had chance to relay the warning, gunshots sounded behind him and he instinctively ducked behind the remains of the tent, crossbow aimed and ready. 

"We've got company!" Mike yelled as the gunfire increased. They had set up a decoy tent using their workers, the bastards! Eren pushed aside his anger and remorse and shot dead two Titans on his way to rejoining Levi's group. The camp was by no means small, roughly the same size as the one he'd lived in, so the squad was still positioned all over the map. The Titans were aggressive and Eren's ducked low as an explosion went off nearby, shattering the glass of the small makeshift building beside him. 

Ymir was close by, tossing grenades at the oncoming enemy, who appeared to come out of nowhere, streaming through the trees and firing at whoever they encountered. Eren's ears rung as he and his comrades dispatched as many as they could.

"There's too many of them!" Connie called over the radio, but Eren's patch of camp was now clear.

"Move! Support the west team!" Levi barked at his small group who darted into action, keeping their heads low and their steps light. There was no opportunity for mistakes. They approached the west side of the camp and Jean's voice crackled over the radio following an explosion in the east. That's where he had been positioned with Marco.

"Man down! Man down!" Jean cried, the gunshots not slowing. Eren rounded a corner and was met face to face with a familiar man. His heart sank and his grip on his crossbow tightened, jaw tightening. He didn't have a name for the man, but it was clear who it was. The man from seven years ago. This was the tall, rugged, ugly son of a bitch who had ordered his mother's death. Before he had time to register anything else, his crossbow was being knocked upward and far out of his grasp, a bolt flying far above the man's head as he lunged forward, firing a shot straight into Eren's chest. The force hitting his flak vest blew him off his feet by at least a metre and left him dazed and confused, his ears ringing for a long moment.

Attempting to gather himself and push himself onto his feet, Eren felt a boot connect with his jaw, an incredible pain shooting through the whole side of his head and knocking the air from his lungs. A metallic twang tickled Eren's taste buds but he had no time to spit the blood from his mouth as the boot pressed down onto his throat. His chest burned from the impact and his lungs screamed for air. He weakly tried prying the boot from his throat, to no avail. 

"Hey!" Mike called, trying to get the man's attention. He turned to look and two gunshots went off, the slack now around Eren's throat suggesting the tall Titan above him had been shot. His heart filled with hope and he clenched his eyes shut, momentarily elated, until he heard a loud thud nearby in the direction Mike had been approaching from. His earpiece was still active, reports of wounded teammates, and Eren struggled against the man's hold, his sight turning blurred and his ears throbbing with the noises.

This was Eren's chance. The guy didn't seem to recognise him, which was just as well, so he took the opportunity of the Titan's possible wound to reach for his knife on his thigh, unclasping the scabbard and sinking it into the man's leg. He let out a loud yell of pain and Eren sat up as quickly as he could when his foot released from his throat. It hurt, but Eren refused to let this chance get away. 

As the man staggered away and assessed his oozing leg wound, Eren lunged forward, knife in hand. He loosened his tight grip around the handle, remembering his training, but the Titan backed away from his attack, pulling his own machete out into view. Squaring off against each other between gunshots and explosions, the two glared at one another. Eren more viciously so. 

"Remember me?" Eren asked before either of them made a move against each other. The man scoffed and ran at him. Eren was quicker though, ducking below the man's long, slow reach and slicing along his ribs, making him stagger to the side, patting his side and finding red across his fingertips. Eren had no intention on giving him an easy ride. 

"The fuck would I remember some military dog?" The man spat before Eren lunged again, being careful to avoid the man's machete. He must have run out of bullets because his gun was left untouched. Eren went in for another low swipe but he saw straight through it and landed a punch square between Eren's shoulder and neck, flooring him. Pain shot through his neck and he staggered to get back up, gritting his teeth. 

"Try Shiganshina, seven years ago." Eren tried, seething with anger that blinded him to the second Titan nearby, launching himself at the tall man once again with a firm grip around the handle of his knife. The man grinned darkly as Eren felt another forceful shot hitting straight into the back of his vest, toppling him over in his stride. He hit the ground with a face full of mud, dazing him again. 

The man loomed above him, "Oh, yeah, the brat with the attitude." Eren growled and went to get up, but took another kick to the head, knocking him unconscious. What he didn't see was the tall Titan receiving three arrow bolts through the chest, as well as his comrade behind him. Levi hurried over and checked Eren's pulse, checking him over very quickly after turning him onto his back. He was alive, but he had no time to stop to wake him up. He took out a few more Titans nearby and hurried over to Hange who was lying face down on the ground. 

He heaved Hange over to receive a pained grunt, eyeing the gunshot on their shoulder. Hange would be fine. He scanned his eyes around the now flaming camp, not spotting many other Titans. The lab was as good as destroyed, along with a few of his squad members, so he pushed through the remnants of the camp to the rear. 

"Status report," he ordered. 

"Clear!" Jean and Armin confirmed the east and west sides. Levi confirmed back with the clearance of the rear. Their job here was done. 

"Pull out, we're done. Drag whoever is still alive with you if they can't move and do it now." Levi said quickly, finally able to breathe given that the threat had been neutralised. Bodies were strewn everywhere and body pieces were littered near blown up makeshift buildings. He popped his head into the main storage building to get a look at the stacks of product on fire. Another grenade tossed carefully into the centre of it and Levi was comfortable knowing the goods had been destroyed. 

"No one left?" Levi asked over the radio. A few confirmations from his perimeter team confirmed this. It was time to move. 

"Sir! Ymir is down!" Christa called over the radio. 

"Your location?" If he couldn't save Ymir he'd assist Christa. 

"South side, near the tents." Christa hurried in response. 

"On my way." 

Levi turned on his heels and Armin staggered past, blood oozing down his cheeks and into his eyes. He was still standing, so he'd be fine. Jean and Sasha were with him and he passed Connie on his way to Christa's location. 

He stood above her to find Ymir lying on the ground, right arm and right leg blown clean off at the joints, her limbs nothing more than tattered sinew, ravaged muscle and gushing arteries. It wasn't good. He'd have to order Christa to do the only thing they could. 

"She won't make it." Levi said. Christa's face fell, although he could tell she had already realised that. Ymir was no longer conscious, despite breathing. "We're too far out to get her the help she needs," Levi said as he crouched down to speak to Christa, who had Ymir's heavy body sprawled across her lap, bleeding profusely.

"What do we do?" 

"Regroup with the others, help Armin, he's injured but he'll be okay. Go now." 

Christa hesitated. "Now!" Levi ordered, getting her to move, tears streaming down her face, leaving Ymir where she lay. Levi cast a stony expression over her lifeless body before pulling his handgun out and compassionately firing a single shot through the side of her head. The slowing movements of her weak breath halted instantly and Levi forced himself up and away. 

He crossed back over to where Eren still lay. One more pulse check, just to ease his concerns. Eren's pulse was strong and steady. He'd be fine. Levi's shoulders didn't have time to sag with relief as he crouched down to the brunet, speaking clearly. "Can you hear me, Eren?" 

He prompted him to get up a few times before grabbing the back top handle of Eren's flak vest, pulling him away from the crumbling buildings and shacks, through the mud towards the camp perimeter. 

"Fuck Eren, you okay? I can't see any wounds." 

"I feel fine, just, my neck hurts."

"Yeah it'll hurt, get up we need to go. Now. We're the last ones out here." Levi ordered and Eren staggered to his feet, moving onward past the multiple bodies lying in red pools everywhere. 

"Where is everyone?" Eren asked as they waded through the water.

"They're waiting for us across the swamp." Levi said quickly. "Hurry up."

The pair made it across the water without encountering any dangerous reptiles. The explosions likely scared off anything within a five mile radius. To the Titans in the main encampment, mere pops in the distance wouldn't even have rumbled bottled water, the forest in between consuming any noises. Eren's eyes scanned over those present quicker than ever, his mind swimming with anxiety and sadness which was quickly overridden with anger, forcing his lips into a thin line and his jaw set tight.

Jean, Connie, Sasha and Christa were unharmed as far as Eren could tell but Hange was out cold as Christa worked on a gunshot to their shoulder. Sasha was bandaging Armin's head but he was sat upright and seemed fairly coherent, if not a little quiet and shaken. Jean was hunched over himself, shaking, tears trickling down his face as he hung his head low, trying to hide his shock. Eren's eyes then moved to Levi. 

"Are you hurt?" Eren asked. Levi shook his head and gestured for Eren to be seen to by Connie. He didn't argue, merely obeyed. He didn't have the energy to do anything but obey.

"We can't stay long. Get everyone back to the temporary camp as soon as you can. We'll move out at dawn. Get some sleep as soon as you can." 

"Sir, what about Marco?" Jean asked, concerned, as if he couldn't hold it in any longer without fear of bursting. "He was still alive..."

Levi swung his head around and took a head count. "Where is he?" 

"Back in the camp, Sir..." Jean said cautiously. Of course he was. 

"Who's not injured?" Levi asked. Jean, Connie, Sasha, Christa and Eren all raised their hands. Hange obviously couldn't and Armin was still a little bit dazed from whatever had hit him in the head, smartly opting out of this one. 

"Alright. Connie and Jean with me, let's go. The rest of you keep an eye on those two." Levi pointed to the two injured. Eren made no complaint at not being selected, merely sat down with Christa and Armin as she bandaged Hange's shoulder, the offending bullet having been quickly removed. 

"Be alert, boys." Levi said as he clipped a new round of bolts to the bottom of his crossbow. The pair in turn checked their rifles over and reloaded. With a silent gesture with one hand, Levi took the two men across the small raised patch of land through to the camp, which was still well and truly on fire. 

"Sir, won't they see the smoke from the main camp?" Connie asked over the radio.

"There aren't too many fires. Once we're done with finding Marco we'll think about putting them out." 

"Alright." 

"Jean, lead the way." Levi insisted and Jean moved ahead of them, the pair following closely on his heels as they passed by the bodies and the body pieces dotted around. The ground was muddy and red in a lot of places, footprints everywhere, and the air stank. The smell of burning cocaine was something that would stain their nostrils for weeks, sharp with a chemical tang to it. Jean led them to where Marco had gone down and he was nowhere to be seen. 

"The fuck, he was right here!" Jean frowned at the charred and disturbed dirt. Levi scanned over the area, looking for clues, before pointing at a smear leading into the trees. Jean picked up on the gesture and Connie's face sank and he looked mortified, fearing the worst had happened to their comrade. Fortunately their path to Marco's location was in the opposite direction to where Mike and Ymir's bodies lay, something although small, Levi found himself grateful for. 

The three followed the smear of presumably blood through the dirt, lifting their night vision goggles in exchange for flash lights. It was definitely red. Poking out from a tree was half a pair of legs (or a leg and a half, however you wanted to look at it,) and lo and behold Marco was slumped up against it, looking up at them. He looked pale, which was understandable, given that his left shin had been blown to pieces. Levi shone a light over it and although the foot itself was still in tact, there were so few sinews connecting it to the knee that it wouldn't be worth keeping. 

Levi groaned quietly before removing his backpack and pulling out a vial and a syringe. He made quick work of jabbing the anaesthetic into Marco's thigh, but this didn't seem to bother the freckled teenager. "Hey Marco, stay with us." Levi said. He observed that Marco had tied a tourniquet around his leg, just above the knee and above the mess that was the remnants of his ankle. He'd tied it well and surprisingly tight. It couldn't have been pleasant. The bleeding was at a minimum, which was good.

"Yeah, buddy. I can't believe you're still awake!" Connie exclaimed, crouching down by Marco's side. Jean stood back, a disbelieving look on his face as Levi unclasped his knife from his thigh. Marco still loosely held onto a large syringe. It seemed he'd dragged himself out of the line of fire, tied off the wound and shot himself with adrenaline to keep himself awake. The kid wasn't even twenty, but at least he'd been trained well. He was remarkably calm given his situation. Levi respected that. 

"Radio Christa. Tell her to get Armin and Hange to camp, I'm gonna have to treat this here if he's got any shot at surviving." Levi warned Connie, who did so without leaving Marco's side. Nearby was a small stick, so Levi grabbed it, brushed it off on his leg and wedged it between Marco's teeth. 

"Jean I'm gonna need all the gauze you can find. A teeshirt if you have one. Now." Levi calmly requested, stretching over to gently pat Marco's cheek and wipe the hair from his forehead in an attempt at reassurance before checking his pulse. Jean scrambled to dig through his and Levi's bags, pulling out a couple rolls of bandage and what few packets of dressing they had. Fortunately he had a clean shirt rolled into his socks so he pulled that out too, keeping them on his lap as he obeyed Levi's order to hold him still. 

"Marco, this will hurt," was all Levi said before starting.

Jean would never truly forget the cries of pain as Levi cut through the broken bones and tattered muscles of Marco's calf and shin. He squirmed uncomfortably, tears rolling down his face as he bit hard into the gag. Levi had a grim expression on his face as he neatly carved through Marco's leg with the smooth side of his knife and deftly flipped it to saw through the bone with the serrated edge, removing it from roughly half way down his shin, just below the knee. He didn't have anything antibacterial on him, so doused the wound with what fresh water he had before prompting the two men holding him to tighten their grip. Once done, Levi bunched the shirt up and pressed it firmly against the bloody stump, making Marco cry out. 

Connie winced as Levi hunched over the wound, pushing the booted foot away from them. "All done?" He asked. 

"We'll have to move him and finish this off at camp. I need gloves and disinfectant before I can tie these blood vessels off." 

"I'm impressed he hasn't passed out," Connie said, huffing with disbelief and attempting to lighten the mood with his sense of humour. The three managed to prop Marco up onto his bum before helping him stand. He'd saved himself from losing much blood which was very good, so he'd be transportable. He was still conscious despite the trauma so Levi had reasonable hopes for his survival. 

"You two, help him back. Keep him above water if you can." Levi instructed before heading back into the camp to check on the fires. There wasn't much burning, but what was smouldering was letting off a lot of smoke, so he spent about twenty minutes going around and kicking dirt onto the worst parts. Maybe if he was lucky it would rain overnight.

Once he'd regrouped with what was left of his squad, Levi found all of them huddled under their tarpaulins, completely quiet and shaken. It was nothing he hadn't experienced before, and by all means this mission had gone better than most usually do for the Scouts, but the first was usually the worst. He understood. 

No words would reconcile them at this point, so he remained silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had tonnes of fun writing this, let me know what you thought! 
> 
> Also I think the total chapter count is looking at about 32. We're almost at the end mon amigos!
> 
> I'm on [Tumblr](http://agent-2-6.tumblr.com).


	28. West

Now that the squad had come to a solemn stop, Levi felt the ache in his own body. He'd gone hand to hand against a man with a knife and suffered a shallow stab wound to his right side, just below his ribs. It didn't bleed all that much, since he'd tightened his flak vest as much as he could as soon as it had happened. It was, given their circumstances, a minor injury. He unfastened the vest and grit his teeth to stifle a wince as he pulled it off over his head. It may have only been an inch deep but it still hurt, sharp bolts of pain shooting around the area in waves activated by movement.

"Sasha." Levi called, catching the brunette's attention. "Help me with this." She scooted over, eyes widening at the large red patch staining his side and seeping into his cargo pant waistband. Eren looked shocked for a moment, his attention distracted from helping with Marco's leg by Levi pulling his bloodied shirt off. He kept quiet though, turning to focus on his task as Sasha shone a torch over Levi's cut. It oozed slightly but wasn't life threatening, so Sasha carefully cleaned it and fixed it shut with three stitches. 

By the time Levi and Marco's wounds had been tended to, Armin, Marco and Hange had fallen asleep. Jean had heavy bags beneath his eyes and everyone looked - and felt drained. By now it was easily two in the morning. Eren took comfort in the only constant around them, the forest sounds, whereas Christa just looked pale and stiff, staring at the patch of ground in front of her. It would take time to come to terms with the loss of Ymir and Mike, even for Eren and Levi who had had their fair share of death in their lives.

"Sleep if you can, we need to start heading back as soon as possible." Levi said quietly to those still awake. Everyone got as comfortable as they could in their current locations and to Levi's surprise Eren made no attempt to get closer to him, despite how much he wanted him to.

Once morning came, the squad managed to force themselves to rest until roughly ten. Everyone was awake by six, six thirty, but they were all exhausted. 

"Morning, Armin," Eren said with a slightly forced smile. Armin returned the gesture. He slept straight through, despite the light chatter and the chirping of the morning birds.

"How do you feel?" 

"Eh, it's nothing some painkillers won't dull," Armin replied. Eren was quick to dig out his water flask and a few tablets from Christa's medical bag. Armin took them straight away. 

"How much disinfectant have we got Christa?" Levi asked. She shrugged.

"Enough to sink a battleship back at the stash. We've got enough for everyone here for the next week maybe?"

"Alright, I want every single scrape cleaned and covered securely. No one is getting sick, got that?" All it took was an untreated wound for two hours out in the jungle heat for infection to begin. First aid was top priority at all times. Disease would always be the bigger killer in the Ragakan wilderness, not traffickers.

"Yes, Levi." 

He hummed in approval and glanced over at Eren who was inspecting Armin's head. Everyone had muddied, blood spattered faces and uniforms and even Levi felt absolutely filthy. They had a spring approximately four days west of their location so perhaps they could bathe there. For now they would have to wait, keeping only their wounds clean. 

Christa was carefully peeling back Marco's bandages, the leg lifted at the knee with a part-inflated bed mat. He was pale, but lucid nonetheless. Christa had given him an injection beforehand to numb the area and he'd taken a few tablets for the pain half an hour before. "How did this happen?" Christa asked.

"Titan kicked a grenade back at me and Jean shot him dead, but the damage had been done." Marco explained calmly as the squad listened. Jean remained silent, brooding. "I told Jean to keep going, that I'd be okay. He didn't want to leave." 

"I wouldn't either," Eren supported Jean, much to the dirty blond's surprise. "I wouldn't leave anyone behind if I had a choice, especially if they're still alive." The squad hummed in agreement. Not much else was said as they finished changing everyone's dressings and a little while later the squad was hauling themselves to their feet. Armin had suggested taking the Titan's road back to the main camp, so that they could eliminate anyone heading in to potentially discover the wreckage. Thankfully it had begun raining in the early hours of the morning, so no smoke was visible as soon as daylight approached. 

"Eren, you know what to look for right?" Hange said, nursing a cup of tea with one hand. Eren nodded. "Are you going too, Levi?" Hange asked, getting the shorter man's attention. 

"Yeah. We'll be back in a minute. Wait for us at the road, we'll radio when close."

"Roger that."

Eren and Levi strapped their rain gear on and trudged downhill, back to the charred camp. "Eren?" Levi said, earning a hum of question from his subordinate. "Sorry it's always you." 

"What do you mean?" 

"They're all still naive where it comes to dead bodies." Oh. Right. Eren realised he'd been chosen to salvage materials because he was the most desensitized to cadavers. It didn't bother him as such, and bodies were always unpleasant to see, but at least Levi was here with him to get it done.

"Well..." Eren let it hang in the air, unsure of what to say as they entered the camp. The air was warm and wet as the rain fell in heavy droplets through the trees, mixing with the blood on the ground and dispersing it. Red streaks morbidly decorated the dark ground and swirled in puddles, the bodies and pieces of limbs acting as macabre cherries on top of the grim icing. The pair located what they were looking for very swiftly and Levi was first to jump in the driver's seat of the jeep. The road back was narrow, but they would have had to have driven this thing out here in the first place, so it would have to fit. Marco wasn't fit to walk so some extra motor power would really help.

"No keys?" Eren asked when Levi dipped his head to the side to feel at the ignition. 

"No problem," Levi countered, ducking beneath the dashboard. In the meantime, Eren checked the tyres and popped the hood to check the engine. Before he'd got the bonnet all the way up he heard the engine choke and gargle as Levi attempted to start it. One more attempt and the entire vehicle rumbled into life. Levi sat back up with a smile on his face. The sort of smile he'd only ever reserve for off-base. Eren didn't catch it though and Levi had to look around to locate him. 

Eren was stood above the body of the tall man he'd fought yesterday, an oddly calm look on his face. There were three arrow bolts embedded in the man's chest, undeniably Levi's. Eren stared down at the body, wondering just what it was that led this man to this exact location at this specific time. Fate? Destiny? Whatever it was, Eren found himself frowning softly. Why didn't this feel like a victory? Seeing the man responsible for the death of his mother dead by the hand of his lover should have elated him, so why did he feel so melancholic? He'd always thought that revenge would make him feel triumphant, victorious. It only left him feeling empty and cold, unsure of why. He didn't have time to ponder on it now though, as Levi's voice called over to him. "Eren. Let's go." 

He looked up and turned to join Levi in the passenger side of the lightweight truck. "It works," Levi said as he shifted it into gear and pulled out. The drive was slow and extremely bumpy but at least they had transport to get them closer to where they needed to be sooner than they had planned. Having transmitted the message to Erwin at HQ the night before, they had a week before the air strike was scheduled to hit, so they needed to collect their gear and set up somewhere outside the blast zone before looking for survivors. 

Levi wasn't counting on any, but it meant a lot to Eren. He would be ordering the squad to return to the collection point at this time otherwise. It was a big risk with the injured, but with the medical supplies present at their stash they would be more than capable of preventing infection. 

Neither men said anything as they waited a handful of minutes for the squad to join them at the road. Eren had radioed over to Armin once they were on their way, so they didn't have to wait long. They appeared in dribs and drabs through the scattered trees and Eren instantly hopped out to help get Marco onto the back of the truck. It wouldn't be by any stretches of the imagination comfortable, but it would do. 

"You think this road avoids the swamps?" Jean asked Levi as he approached, looking the jeep over. It was licked with mud half way up and the flatbed on the back was also muddied. Whether this was from usage or driving through water, they wouldn't know. Not until they came to that point. 

"We'll soon find out. We've got at least a few miles before we reach then, but it keeps them off their feet until that point. If push comes to shove we'll make a raft for Marco." 

Jean hummed, looking Marco over with concern. The man himself seemed alert and awake, as if getting his foot blown off was no big deal. He was strong, despite not always appearing so with his mild manners and politeness. The squad perched uncomfortably on the flatbed of the jeep, the corrugated metal flatbed being enclosed with two high barred walls. Connie stood at the rear, harness secured to the bar at his chest whilst holding his rifle, whereas Jean stood closest to Levi's driver's side where Hange and Armin were squashed into the passenger seats. 

Levi turned to check that everyone was in before pulling away and through the muddy and uneven forest road. The jeep jostled and shook as it's sturdy tyres plunged into hidden holes beneath puddles and powered over rocks. It was hairy driving, for which everyone was pleased Levi was behind the wheel. He was by far the best driver next to Hange, but significantly more careful. The squad were still in a state of shock and any more action would only exhaust them further, so Levi took his time.

Chatter was kept to a minimum but Marco was the most talkative of them all as they precariously pushed forward. Four hours they carried on like this, the path significantly quicker than the way they'd trudged parallel to it through the dense, sludgy undergrowth. 

"Alright. Get everything above the bars, packs on." Levi called behind him as he brought the jeep to a shaky stop. Everyone got up and realised they'd hit the same swamp they had collected leeches in for a couple of hours. 

"They had to have gotten this jeep out here in this direction..." Armin mused aloud. Levi and Hange hummed in agreement. 

"Looks like they would've taken the highest point, which is probably between that strip of trees." Armin pointed to a clear cut path through the trees of the swamp. Levi was skeptical but he'd give it a go. If they lost the jeep here, so be it, but he'd prefer not to, naturally. They had enough gas for another day at least, which would greatly alleviate their trek, especially in the rain. 

"Alright, Marco you'll have to get up for this one, I don't know how deep it is and I want to keep your leg dry." 

"Yes, Sir," Marco said, holding his arms out to Christa and Sasha who were on hand to help him up. Once up, he took a moment to get used to standing again, supporting himself on the bars of the roll cage whilst Christa strapped his bandages up with a water tight plastic sack, tightening it around his thigh as high as it would stretch without putting unnecessary pressure on the wound. Christa had to admit, given the circumstances, Levi had cut the limb very neatly. It would heal over well, with minimal discoloration. The shin had been torn apart in such a way that left a large enough scrap of skin still connected to the knee. She'd stretched it over the stump and stitched it carefully. Sure, it would be swollen for at least a month, probably more, but the most important part was that the flesh wounds would heal quite quickly if kept clean and covered.

"Ready, Levi!" Sasha said. He nodded, turning to check before shifting into first gear and slowly entering the swamp. The snorkel of the jeep gurgled and snorted and the jeep filled with water by almost half, but the swamp bed felt sturdy enough to hold their weight. Hange and Armin stood on the seats to stay dry but Levi had to remain seated, submerging up to his chest in cold swamp water. By some miracle of engineering or luck, or whatever it was, within the hour they found the other side of the road and with a firm foot down on the gas in the lowest gear, the jeep was hauled from the water, fully intact. 

"Ha, yes! That's what I'm talking about!" Connie exclaimed, holding his hand up to Sasha who returned the high five with a smile. Levi pulled the hand break up, leaving the jeep on the slope to drain and dry out. 

"I dunno about you lot," Levi hopped out from the jeep after killing the engine, "but I'm fucking starving." 

Eren grinned and hopped off the jeep as Christa and Sasha helped Marco into a seated position on the back of the flatbed. Jean and Connie unhooked themselves and got out too. They were just at the foot of the mountain, still a good three days travel, but the scenery was nonetheless breathtaking. From this side of the swamp they were able to see a lake between the trees, dotted with tall trees and clear water. The skies were clouded over and it was raining, but the landmark was still breathtaking. 

"We're running on energy bars..." Jean grumbled as Eren approached his squad leader and Captain by the front of the truck. 

"Sir?"

"Yeager?" 

"How much time do we have for a mess break?" 

Levi looked at his watch. "Two hours? Depending on how fast we find something to eat?"

"I have an idea," Eren said quickly, stamping an obligatory 'sir' onto the end. 

"Spill it then."

Eren pointed at the lake through the trees. "I bet you we'll find something in there and I know just the thing."

"What do you need?"

"Fewer people the better, crossbow would be best since it's quiet." 

Levi narrowed his eyes at Eren, who didn't seem to take any notice of the scrutiny. "Hange, keep an eye out and don't fucking die while I'm gone. Braus, get over here!" 

"Ee-yeaah?! Sir?" Sasha squealed, rushing over having heard her name and assuming she was in trouble for something.

"Head uphill and see what food you can find. Boar would be great if you can find one, nothing already dead please. Fresh."

"Yes sir!"

"Lead the way, Yeager," and Eren did. He carefully stepped down into the marshy edges of the lake, keeping his eyes peeled. Levi had never come across a lake in the jungle before, even in the far East in his poaching days, but then again he'd only ever been deployed upriver into the mountains during his time in service. "What are we looking for?" 

"Alligators, caiman, anaconda, you know? Large reptiles. I'd prefer snake but if we get a gator that'll have to do."

"What about that?" Levi said, pointing further down the edge between the trees. There was a huge pile of logs, leaves, twigs, mud and foliage. It looked like a nest. 

"Woah, nicely spotted!" Eren said, moving uphill a little to get their feet out of the water. The nest was pushed up against a large tree and the mound was easily three feet high, spanning out a couple of meters in each direction. They would definitely encounter a large reptile here, they would just have to provoke it out of it's hiding place without getting bitten. Eren poked a foot into the centre of the nest, just to see whether it was in use. The debris was soft and foamy, but a few shifts with his foot didn't reveal any eggs. They must have been buried deep.

Just the act of standing on the nest was enough to get the owner's attention, a crocodile sneered at Eren's foot, quickly launching itself from the water to the men's side, fiercely protective of her nest. Eren stepped back and Levi was quick to fire a bolt at it, landing straight between it's eyes. It didn't take long for it to die with Levi's accuracy, which Eren was grateful for. Neither men saw the point in pointless suffering or a slow death. They'd both witnessed comrades and friends perish slowly through disease or abandonment. 

Once satisfied that the crocodile was dead, Levi retrieved his bolt and wiped it off by swishing it around in the water nearby. 

"We've got a two meter croc, over." Eren called to Sasha. 

"Oh good, I'm not finding anything! Just one measly agouti," Sasha whined on the other end of the line. 

"That's fine. We've got at least twenty kilos of meat once you gut this thing." Eren said back over the radio with a smile as the pair hauled the reptile over their shoulders, helping each other to lug it back up to the road where the squad would have a fire set up. 

"Hang on," Levi said, dropping his half carefully with Eren's assistance. "Gut it away from the road." 

"Good idea." 

When the pair returned with several large slabs of crocodile meat, the team's faces lit up. "Woah, nice one!" Sasha exclaimed. Marco was laid back on the flatbed of the truck getting as much still rest as he could and Jean was standing guard at the front of the jeep, leant against the bull bars. Everyone else had set up a fire and a decent size stand to skewer things for cooking. With everyone now assisting, the meat was cooked quickly and everyone begun eating. 

Levi picked up a couple of skewers after Christa ran over to gently wake Marco up and walked past them to Jean, who didn't look at him, eyes on the road ahead. "Eat something," Levi suggested. Jean looked at him and took the skewer, quietly gnawing on it. 

"You okay?" Levi asked. Jean frowned, looking at his crispy, overcooked crocodile meat. 

"I left him behind." 

"You had to." 

"Yeah, but-"

"Whatever self depreciating remark you've got to say about yourself - stop. You would have died if you stayed to help. He's alive now, thanks to you, so stop whining." Jean looked at his superior with a mixture of shock and slowly absorbing understanding. It was true he wasn't the best with words, but that didn't mean he didn't care. Jean had learnt multiple times that Levi's sharp way of expression was just part of his personality. Some people said little with a lot of words, Levi said a lot in little. It took some growing used to, but once Jean stopped taking every little remark personally, they got along so much better. The same went for anyone who worked with Levi, including his own superiors. 

Jean returned to his skewer and Levi offered a second one. Jean looked confused. Levi elaborated, and then left him with the food. "You could eat for the whole squad, take it now while there's an excess." 

"It tastes like a scallop... this is so weird," came the commentary from Sasha, excited over trying crocodile for the first time. It wasn't an uncommon meat in Ragako, but nevertheless it was still new to a few. There would be enough to last a couple of days once all cooked, so leftovers were tightly sealed and stored in backpacks. 

Once strapped back into the jeep with no interruptions from any Titans, Levi fired it back up and they trudged on through the narrow paths cut before them by boots and machete, forcefully shaped with the helm of a jeep. They managed to wring the jeep of every ounce of petrol it had, the vehicle finally churning in empty complaint before stalling and refusing to start again. Levi tried the ignition a few times but it was well and truly empty. 

"Looks like it's on foot from here. Take a minute to change your dressings." Levi announced. The squad nodded and moved into action, rummaging for medical supplies. Christa was tasked with Marco's leg, Jean assisted Hange and Connie helped with Armin's small cut just above his hairline. 

"That means you too, Sir." Eren said to Levi as he got out of the truck and rounded to Levi's side. Levi shrugged and started to peel off his flak vest and pull his shirt off. The Captain twisted himself on the driver's seat sideways and Eren crouched over to get a look at the small wound. "Does it hurt? It still looks pretty red..." Eren said as he peeled off the dressings, which were thick with red gooey discharge. Both men scrunched their noses up when the smell hit them. Levi craned his neck to look down at it and although a small cut, it wasn't showing any signs of healing. 

"Fuck, this is the last thing we need." Levi grumbled under his breath. Eren doused his hands with a splash of alcohol disinfectant before wetting a clean cotton pad with more of the liquid. Levi winced as Eren gently dabbed over it and cleaned it. 

"Maybe you need to let it breathe?" Eren suggested with a concerned frown. Levi furrowed his brow. 

"We haven't got time for that, but you're right. How is everyone else looking?" Levi asked over the side of the driver's seat to the back of the flatbed. Christa looked up for a moment and responded.

"All good here, Sir. The others look fine too." 

"Good." 

"And you, Sir?" 

As much as Levi didn't want to admit it, keeping it from the squad would be pointless. "It's infected." Christa's face fell and she paused for a moment before forcing herself back to Marco's shin which was propped up with a backpack. 

"You think it'll be okay?" Christa asked curiously, also concerned. 

"Best we can do is clean it and hope for the best. The antibiotics are at the stash." Eren said softly. "It'll be fine once you get some of those in your system." 

"I think I've got a couple tablets on me now, actually. Here," Christa dug through her bag, pulling out a small sealed bag with two tablets inside. "It's not enough but take one a day." She handed it across to Levi who immediately opened the bag, taking one there and then, hoping the small amount would be enough to kill the early sprouts of infection. 

"Thanks." 

"No problem. We'll make it back in one piece, I'm sure." Christa tried sounding optimistic but the worry was still audible in her tone and noticeable by the expression on her face. 

"We'll have to. I still have to show you that house in Shiganshina." Eren said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. 

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Levi grumbled, waiting for Eren to finish cleaning the small amount of pus away. It stung, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. They'd be back at the gear checkpoint a whole day and a half sooner than planned, so he'd be able to rest there for the remainder of the week. 

Once everyone was cleaned off and out of the truck, Hange ordered everyone to assist in stripping the jeep for useful resources. Namely two wheels and a portion of metal to drag Marco through the jungle on wheels. He wasn't at all mobile, especially with his leg swelling to half it's size as it begun healing. If he was in a lot of pain, which was to be expected, he did well in not showing it. Christa kept him dosed up on painkillers so he slept a lot of the time. 

Construction of the trolley-come-gurney was simple and the squad threw it together in about an hour between everyone helping. It was just wide enough to lay their injured atop as well as his gear. It wouldn't be terribly comfortable, but it would probably be a smoother ride than the jeep and would expend minimal energy for both Marco and whoever was tasked with pulling him. Between those fit enough, they would take turns to not exhaust themselves needlessly. Once finished, the jeep was rolled off the path into the bushes. It wasn't hidden well, but any traffic expected to come down this road would be meeting them head on, not from behind. 

"Thanks, guys." Marco said quietly as they helped him into position. Levi and Hange got their clothes back on over their dressings and everyone checked over their rifles and crossbows. Everything was in order. 

The trek went smoothly with no signs of Titan activity for the next three days. They were finally approaching the ten mile mark from their gear and had just acquired, on one of Sasha's more successful missions, a wild boar - which would feed them for the next week at least. Not that they would need it. They had additional rations left in their bags and would be well fed for the rest of their time in the jungle. Their planning suggested they only needed be out here for another two weeks, max. With roughly two or three days until the air strike, they would reach their equipment and set up camp by the end of the next day. 

Once set up for sleeping aside the road that day, preparing to go over healing wounds one more time, Levi sat down with a tired look on his face. Sure, he'd had two doses of antibiotics, but it wasn't enough to kill the impending fever that would follow his infection. He leant back on a damp log, against a tree, and quickly fell asleep. The team left him be for the time being, finishing their setup of the hammocks and tarps, preparing dinner and getting comfortable. 

"Sir?" Eren said softly upon his approach. Levi stirred, but didn't open his eyes. He mumbled some sort of response, but it wasn't anything coherent. "Are you alright?" Eren asked, calling Christa over when he didn't answer. 

"Mmfine, just tired." Levi managed, still slumped against the tree. A small, clammy hand pressed against his forehead, followed by the backs of what he would realize were Christa's fingers pressing against his cheeks one at a time. 

"He's burning up. C'mon Sir, let's get your vest off, I need to look at this wound." 

Getting him undressed from the waist up was fairly easy when the Captain was so docile, tired out from the fever and general groggy feeling that had started to develop throughout the course of the day. He'd woken up with a heavy head and a sweaty shirt and the day's lack of rainfall only made him feel hotter, his skin tingling and burning up all over. It was likely only a mild fever to begin with, but to him it felt worse, tenfold. 

Eren assisted Christa in getting him into a lying position so he'd be able to rest while they looked him over. Peeling his dressings off only revealed more of the same as the couple of days prior. It was swollen and red in a lump around the injury, still not healing. She cleaned it up and cast a sidelong glance to Eren, who was chewing at his cuticles in worry. She couldn't reassure him much other than "he'll be fine once we get him some medicine. It's only a day away." 

"Yeah, he's a tough cookie, he'll be fine," Hange added, to which Eren had no doubts about. It didn't stop him feeling nervous though. Without immediate medical assistance, survival chances dropped by the hour in the wet heat of the jungles. Eren remained by Levi's side, holding his hand as Christa tidied up the wound, regardless of what she may think. With so much death around, affection came last on the list of priorities for Eren and Levi, so hadn't really interacted much since leaving the destroyed laboratory. Eren would take whatever he could get, even if it meant instigating it himself. 

The next day of hiking was definitely slow, as Levi had a higher temperature than the day before after a night of no sleep. Everyone was tired and wet and it had rained since the early hours of the morning until their current point now, twelve hours later into the late afternoon. 

"Alright, the stash coordinates are just over this ridge. We'll have to leave the road though. It's not far, but Marco may have to walk, or, hop." Armin said sheepishly with a smile which Marco was all too keen to return. He was in high spirits, which, being the most critically injured of the lot of them, was reassuring for everyone else. He definitely had more of Levi's respect now than he'd ever had. About twenty minutes into their trip into the thick undergrowth of the mountainside jungle, the squad heard a loud snap and Levi fell forward faster than a sack of bricks. Connie, who was beside him, didn't manage to catch him but was by his side in an instant along with Armin and Hange. 

"Fuck, he's not well." Hange said, looking up at Armin who hurried to check his GPS. 

"We're not far. Jean, help carry Levi and Sasha take his place." Armin instructed. Jean was currently helping support Marco with Eren and Eren and Jean were currently their two physically strongest squad members after Levi. Connie helped lift Levi and the pair threw his arms over their shoulders. 

"Fuck he's heavy!" Connie groaned in complaint. Armin frowned at Levi, who was out cold. 

"At this rate you guys are just gonna be dragging him, he can't walk."

"Alright, you get one side, stick him on my back, I'll carry him," Jean offered. "Just strap him on for now, like Armin said it's not far." 

"Roger that." 

'Not far' by Armin's standards was still a full mile, uphill, in the torrential rain. By the time the team reached their coordinates for their gear strapped into the trees, everyone was tired and hungry. Everyone looked up once they arrived, aside from Levi of course. 

"Uh, Hange?" Armin asked. "You sure this was the place?" 

Hange looked around, up, down toward the direction of the Titan camp, everywhere. Nothing. "This is definitely the place. Look - footprints." Hange pointed, sure it was from their squad only a week ago. 

"Uh... Squad leader?" 

"Yeah, Sasha?" 

"These tracks are fresh. Like, _today_ kinda fresh..." Sasha said nervously. 

"Hmm.. Oh, shit guys look..." Jean gestured to the tatters of clothing, rucksacks and tins of food scattered around the forest floor a little beyond sight, spread out across the jungle floor in the direction leading up toward the mountain. Hange's expression sunk into immediate seriousness. 

"Get out, now!"


	29. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren gets an idea... Will it be a good one?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise extra update! Y'all been so lovely I wanted to treat you to a nice big chappie. Saturday will still go ahead as planned and you may have noticed we have a final chapter count! Woohoo!
> 
> Anyhow, go read, enjoy, and as always, feedback is appreciated!

"Move move move!" Hange said in a rush as the squad hurried into the thickest part of forest they could find, rifles aimed and every muscle in their body tense. Except for Jean's, who was tense from carrying Levi, who was as limp as a wet biscuit. The man himself weighed in at sixty-five kilos and his clothing and gear easily added up to twenty kilos. Jean had been pleased he didn't have to carry the man far, but grit his teeth in annoyance when he had to drag him into the bushes slumped over his back. 

Once everyone had successfully hidden without anyone seeming to notice their arrival and subsequently swift exit, Eren slowly rose and poked his head around the edge of a tree, face knitted into concentration. Something didn't feel right. 

"This doesn't feel like an ambush..." Eren said quietly through his receiver, slowly stepping out from his hiding place. Hange was quick to scold him. 

"Eren get down, now!" Eren ignored the order, slowly walking back into the area scattered with fresh footprints and littered equipment. He crouched over a rucksack before looking up, evaluating every tiny little piece of evidence he could soak up. The longer he was out there, the more impatient the squad became, soon joining him when no signs of Titan retaliation could be seen or heard. 

"There's no one here." Eren said as they approached. Hange looked particularly annoyed at him, but he couldn't bring himself to feel sorry. He beckoned Armin and Sasha over for a second opinion. 

"What do you think?" He asked. The pair took a slow look around, kicking aside torn clothes and scattered tins. Any food that hadn't been sealed was broken into and packets torn to pieces. 

"Well it's true that there have been people nearby..." Armin said, looking around at the boot prints. They were everywhere, but only a few. Whoever had been here had been here as a pair, three at most. "But they weren't the first ones here." Armin concluded. Sasha hooked herself into a large tree they had tied their gear into and drew herself up, checking over a backpack that was still tied up. The side had been chewed through by whatever wanted to get to the contents. 

"Who didn't seal their food, huh?" Sasha yelled down at the squad on the forest floor. Connie folded his arms and frowned. 

"Everything was wrapped!" 

"Alright guys, none of that matters," Hange said, drawing everyone's attention. "Find the medicine, gather up whatever supplies you can and make this place look as if we were never here. Got it?" 

"Sure thing..." Eren said, leaving to assist in putting together the scraps of clothing, wrappers and boxes. Any ammunition boxes he found were empty and there wasn't a single medical kit in sight. Armin was beside him, catching things dropped down from Sasha as she unhooked what remained in the trees. 

"Looks like the monkeys got into them, probably out of curiosity over anything else..." Armin said with a shrug after setting down a bed roll that had gone untouched in the canopy. 

"Yeah, then someone came along and decided to salvage the pieces." Eren spat out, clearly assuming Titans given their proximity to the camp. 

"Yeah... It looks that way." Armin said with a sigh, catching another bag before Sasha dropped from the tree. 

As the uninjured worked on the gear around the area, Jean hunched over and unhooked Levi next to Marco's wheeled gurney. The pair were fast asleep, although Levi's breathing was significantly shallower than Marco's whose was deep and even as it had been all day while he slept peacefully. Jean pressed a hand against Levi's forehead. The skin was cold and clammy and his eyelids fluttered whilst shut. Jean frowned as he looked at his Captain. He didn't understand what was wrong or how to help, so he felt a little bit awkward, if not worried at the same time, unsure how to be useful. 

Christa soon joined him to look Levi over and she pressed a pair of fingers against his neck, looking at her watch for a long minute. There was nothing more ominous about having no medical supplies, days out of reach from sterile environments where everyone could get the help they needed. Jean grumbled under his breath, looking down at the dirt as he sat between Levi and Marco. His attention was pulled away however when Marco's hand brushed his arm. Jean remained quiet as he looked in Marco's direction and the freckled brunet looked up at him, exhaustion on his face but with life still shining in his eyes. 

"Hey," Marco said with a weak smile. Jean frowned and looked away. "What's up?" Jean was quiet for a moment. 

"I just keep thinking about who's gonna be next and whether it'll be me. There's no saying you injured guys won't make it back alive. Levi's already got an infection. We're so screwed." Jean pouted to top off his complaint. Marco simply smiled at him. 

"You know something Armin taught me once?" 

"What?" 

"The only thing that train of thought is good for is breaking your nerves. Push it out of your mind." Jean didn't want to admit it or very less hear it, but he couldn't deny it held truth. 

"I guess you're right," came the grumbled response. Marco took what he was given and nodded slowly, trying to crane his neck backward to see how the squad were getting on with operation cleanup. 

"Our shit is everywhere. No tents, no sleeping bags, no food, I haven't seen a single medical pack." Jean complained. Marco rolled his eyes and surrendered in his attempt. His gurney was still facing the forest, he couldn't see anything aside from trees but he was okay with that for now. They'd probably be moving soon anyway. 

"Marco?" Jean said. Marco looked up at him expectantly. "How are you so calm right now?" Marco gave a small shrug. 

"I guess I'm just staying strong for the rest of you. There's no sense in losing my cool over things I can't control." 

"What do you want to do about your leg?" Jean asked quietly. Marco looked back into the tall tops of the trees as far as he could, nothing but grey clouds above them through the minuscule gaps between the foliage. 

"I don't know yet, probably get a prosthetic and carry on with my duties." 

"Heh, it would definitely be a shame to lose you." 

"Yeah, it's gonna be harder than a little flesh wound to get rid of me!" Marco said with a smile. Jean gawked at him before finally letting slip a small smile. 

"Arrrrgh, fuuck!" Connie whined loudly before Hange shushed him. "There's not a single medical kit in sight. We're fucked, or more, Levi is fucked, man." Connie was trying to his best to keep his voice down but it came out as a strained, loud whisper. Hange adjusted their glasses and pinched the bridge of their nose in thought, brow furrowed. Sasha, Armin and Eren all regrouped and strapped their findings back onto everyone's gear. There were still four tents and three sleeping bags, as well as a small amount of food. Whoever had rifled through the gear must not have had enough hands to carry the lot. 

"I suggest we set up camp somewhere a good distance from here as planned, but maybe set up surveillance before we leave. That way, if whoever was here returns, we can figure out who it was or where our things went." 

"Alright, do you have a camera?" 

"As a matter of fact I do. I already wired it up in that tree." Armin pointed above them a little ways away, near the main spread of their upturned rucksacks.

"Alright, let's move out. Get Marco. Christa, how's Levi?" 

Christa looked concerned, but her entire body sagged with exhaustion. "He's not drank much today, I think he's getting dehydrated. I got him to drink what little I could. It will have to do for now." 

"Alright then, let's go." 

The trek to their final camp site was located uphill another half hour, by which point Jean had swapped Levi on his back for Marco, who was more awake anyway and surprisingly, despite being taller, weighed less when gear was left on the Captain. Levi was carried through the dense jungle on the gurney by Connie and Eren. 

As soon as Levi was set down onto the ground in their camp site, he stirred a little bit before coughing, his chest and midsection tightening and convulsing as he rolled onto his side to exit his stomach of all bile and water. He groaned but otherwise fell back into a fitful sleep as the team swiftly set up camp. They had four tents designed to fit two people each, so Levi was given one by himself, Armin and Hange shared and Marco stayed with Christa. The final tent was reserved for communications equipment and somewhere for the squad to sit and keep dry during the day. Jean, Connie, Sasha and Eren all had hammocks set up, but the likelihood of Eren remaining in his to take care of Levi during the night was highly probable.

"When is the strike due?" Eren asked of Hange. Hange checked the time.

"Approximately thirty hours from now." 

"Hmm.." Eren seemed thoughtful, but didn't elaborate and Hange didn't push for it. He let himself into Levi's tent as the squad were heating up dinner, and he was sat upright, hunched over his knees. He had heavy bags under his eyes, making him look more tired than normal and his skin was coated with a light sheen of sweat.

"How you doing?" Eren asked. Levi looked up at him, shuffling to sit cross legged. 

"Pretty shit. I feel zapped," Levi said quietly. To any other member of the squad he'd insisted he wasn't that bad, but the fact he'd fainted exposed those lies easily. 

"Yeah, the gear was broken into by animals, someone came through and picked a few bits up. We don't have any medicine or fresh dressings. Whatever ammo we've got is whatever was left from the raid." 

Levi huffed, too exhausted to say much. "Let's hope we don't have to shoot anyone on our way back, then." Eren smiled slightly when Levi cracked a small grin, his usual wry sense of humour not at all disrupted by his high temperature. 

"Help," Levi grunted and raised his arms, clearly suggesting his flak vest. Eren sat up on his knees and unfastened the vest, carefully pulling it off over his head as well as his dirty shirt. Levi's whole torso shuddered involuntarily and Eren was quick to throw a sleeping bag around his shoulders. "Thanks." 

"Want to get cleaned up? There's a spring like, ten meters away." Eren asked, sitting back down. Levi was slow to conjure up a response but nodded briefly eventually. Christa must have laid out some fresh clothes for him, as they were sat beside his bed mat neatly folded beside an empty mug and a hosed water pack. Eren took a thin travel towel she'd left out and dug his own out, removing his vest and rustling around for soap. Levi in the meantime pushed himself up and shuffled out of the tent, stretching his arms and legs.

"Feeling better after a sleep, Captain?" Christa asked with a hopeful smile. He looked as rough as he felt, not having had a haircut in over a month and having not shaved in almost two weeks. He scratched his left arse cheek, ignoring Christa in favour of a cup of tea. She simply chuckled and handed him a mug. It had been sat out for a while now, so to Levi it was perfect: strong and warm, not too hot.

Eren found Levi nursing his mug whilst the squad all picked at their meat skewers. Levi scrunched his face up and left as soon as Eren found him, allowing himself to be led. Eren found mild amusement in a poorly Captain. He was very docile when unwell and allowed himself to sleep. He didn't complain, just wanted to be left alone, but wasn't above asking for help. He was very low maintenance. 

They stepped into the cold spring and both men begun washing themselves. Levi peeled his dressing off and sat on a rock in damp boxers, gently washing the wound. The antibacterial soap would help even if only a little. He'd started getting chills and cold sweats, so while he appreciated the wash, he was itching to wrap up warm, preferably beside Eren. Eren finished washing first and moved over to help Levi speed his own up, scrubbing his back and shoulders in firm, massage-like movements which made Levi groan quietly in approval. 

"I'll have to give you a proper massage when we get home," Eren said quietly into Levi's ear, to which the man leant back against Eren's bare chest. Eren's cheeks heated up in an instant, pleased that there was a small ridge of rock and ferns blocking the stream's view from the camp. 

"Does your side hurt?" Eren asked. 

"No. I'm still running on whatever that stuff is..." Levi mumbled out quietly, trailing off as he seemed to forget what it was he was saying mid-sentence. If he didn't have a potentially life threatening infection, Eren may have found the sleepy Captain adorable. Eren remained where he was for a short moment, aware of Levi's shivering, deciding not to indulge in the tiny amount of physical contact in favour of lifting him out of the water and drying him off. Eren carried him back to camp after toweling them both down, his own towel around his waist as he helped get Levi into his clean clothes while he was half asleep and barely responsive. 

As soon as Eren was finished with moving him, he curled into a ball on his side and tugged the corners of the sleeping bag to his front, trapping out any draughts. Eren made sure to tuck the edges in around him, a gesture which didn't go unappreciated. 

Eren made his way over to the fireplace to grab something to eat as the team all shared stories about their fallen comrades, Mike and Ymir being the two most recent. Hange would chirp in occasionally with names that even Eren didn't know, but the sad look on everyone's faces was unmistakable. The conversation reminded Eren too much of his mother and Levi's previous squad, so he got up and let himself into the small command tent. Everyone had piled together whatever medical supplies they could find and Eren carefully looked through it, seeing if he could find anything that may help Levi. 

The pile consisted mainly of standard painkillers, gauze and dressings as well as a few tools like scissors, needles and dissolvable thread. All of their heavier tranquilizers, antibiotics and salts packets had been taken. Eren sat staring at them for a long moment. Was it the Titans? If it was, surely they would be scouring the forests in their camp's perimeter, setting up an ambush for when the military returned for their belongings? He didn't think any indigenous peoples lived in these areas, since he'd never in his seven years in the jungle heard or seen them. He assumed they would have primal, basic medical knowledge so would not select certain items dug out from a medical kit.

So if it wasn't tribal or Titan activity, then who? Had Hannah escaped and found their gear? Was there any other captives working in the Titan camp who could have come up this direction?

"Eren?" Armin's voice snapped Eren away from his theories. "Everything alright? You're kinda glaring at a pile of painkillers." Armin chuckled and crouched down to be eye level with his friend and comrade. Eren smiled slightly, ideas still whirring in the forefront of his mind. 

"Armin..." Eren begun, slowly wiping Armin's smile from his lips. "I think I'm about to do something stupid." 

"What is it? Is it something we need to tell the squad leader?" 

"I don't want anyone trying to talk me out of it and as it is we're running out of time." 

"Time for what, Eren?" When Eren looked back down across the medicines, Armin seemed to piece the two together. "You have to tell Hange. If only Hange at the very least." Armin insisted. "I don't know exactly what you're planning but tell Hange. They might be able to help." 

Eren grumbled and pushed his way out of the tent. Armin let him go. 

"Squad leader, can I talk to you?" Hange regarded Eren with a smile and gestured to the space of log beside theirs. Eren pursed his lips and flicked his head to the left, gesturing for privacy and eager to have it granted swiftly since the whole squad was looking at him, growing curious. Hange got up and they moved to the edge of the small camp. 

"What is it, is it Levi?" 

"No. Well, sort of." Hange folded their arms and waited. "I think the meds are in the Titan camp. I want to go get them." 

"Eren that's way too risky, we're outnumbe-"

"I want to go alone." Eren cut his superior off, but Hange didn't seem to mind. "You know as well as I do that Levi's probably gonna end up with blood poisoning, if he hasn't already. If he goes into shock he's done for and there's only so long before that camp, and any hope of him getting better, gets blown to smithereens!" Eren struggled to keep calm as his voice slowly rose. Hange was quiet for a long moment, seemingly soaking in all of the information. Eren shuffled uncomfortably on the spot, expecting to be told he's an idiot, not thinking things through enough. What he didn't expect was Hange's next question.

"How can I help?" 

Eren was taken aback for a short moment before looking over his shoulder at his squad mates. "I'll need a disguise, so,"

"Get a Titan, strip him. Got it." Hange interrupted. "I wouldn't approve if this were anyone else, but you know them better than anyone, I guess." Hange still seemed a small bit hesitant. "You do realize that if this goes wrong and you're stuck there for the strike..." 

"Yeah, I get it. I want to just get in, get the stuff and get out." 

"And you won't be distracted by saving anyone?" Hange asked, albeit slightly carefully, cautious of Eren's response. 

"I told Hannah to get out if she could. If she can't I guess that's it. I can't compromise the Captain for that..." Eren said quietly, leaning toward Hange as they both turned to speak whilst looking at the squad who were finally enjoying a small amount of down-time since the raid in the east, washing, sleeping, cleaning their gear and clothes. They were actually smiling a little bit here and there, too, so that was a good thing. 

"You really love him, don't you?" 

Eren's jaw tightened and he frowned. No one aside from Armin had blatantly spoken to him regarding whatever it was he and Levi had going on in secret. He nodded. "Yeah, I do." 

"Well we do too, so I'm sure the squad would agree we'd all do anything to help him. We'll do what we can, as a team, yeah?" 

"Sounds good... Thanks, Hange." 

"Your dad would be proud." Hearing that made Eren smile, genuinely so. He nodded along and told himself he'd do what it took to get back out alive. Not just for Levi, but for his father, brothers and sisters in arms and everyone he knew back home. His little old lady neighbors in Shiganshina who had been so surprised he was still alive, and for his country that collectively had celebrated his return without anyone asking them to. He didn't feel as if he owed anyone for his services, he wanted to do this for them. Contribute in whatever way he could. For the time being, this service was his calling and he would execute it to the best of his ability. Dying was not an option. 

"Alright. We need to get a move on if we're gonna do this in time," Hange said, striding out from the privacy of the edge of the forest and into the centre of the camp, catching everyone's attention. "Hustle up everybody!" Backs straightened and people curled upwards from their napping positions, leant against trees and lazing in hammocks near the fire, making the most of the dry weather. 

"Eren and I got special orders, Christa and Jean take care of the injured while we're gone. We shouldn't be longer than about five or six hours. Armin will have us both on radio." Armin confirmed with a nod and no one questioned where they were going until after they had left, since only Hange went armed perhaps more than strictly necessary and Eren was wearing his patterned cargo pants and a black tee shirt hidden by a camouflage rain poncho.

Once out far enough, Hange explained the plan quietly, "alright, we find a Titan, take him out nice and clean, take his shit and get you dressed and back into the camp before anyone realizes he's not come back from his evening shit," Hange held a gloved finger to the mic receiver, addressing the camp. "Armin, I need a status check on that air strike, as soon as you can." 

"Copy that, looking into it now, over." 

Hange silently gestured with a couple of pointed fingers in a downhill direction and Eren followed close behind.

"How is your shoulder? Are you sure you're okay to do this?" Eren asked and Hange brushed it off with a waft of a hand, quieting him as they approached the edge of the camp. It was growing dark, so people were wandering around lighting citronella candles in spots draped with waterlogged tarps in an attempt to keep them lit. 

"Stay here," Hange ordered before pressing through the trees into the unknown. All Eren could do was wait, ducked low in the bushes after rustling his boot through the leaves to scatter any lingering insects or frogs before crouching down. Nothing much was disturbed, since the recent downpours had made insects take shelter in the trees. Eren waited patiently for a signal from Hange, but the pair of them received an update from Armin first. 

"Squad Leader - ready to report, standing by, over." 

"Copy that," Hange said in quiet response. Some ten minutes later they radio'd through again, asking Eren to move closer, and for Armin to continue with his report. 

"Moblit has confirmed the aerial strike is running way ahead of schedule. The skies are looking cloudy for the next few hours so it will be hitting in approximately three hours." 

"Thanks, Armin," Eren approached Hange, finding a half naked body on the ground, clad only in his underwear. He hurried over as Hange kept speaking with Armin and got changed as quickly as possible, even wetting his hands to slick his hair back like the man on the ground. Eren pulled on a pair of tatty denim shorts, noting that thankfully the man didn't have any tattoos that would give him away, a white shirt and a black bandana around his neck, complete with a baseball cap and a pair of boots that were half a size too small. 

"Armin, how are the others doing?" Hange asked over the radio. Eren looked up at Hange to confirm whether he looked the part, pulling the bandana over his nose and strapping his machete belt around his hips before slinging the man's dirty rifle over one shoulder. Eren didn't much care to think of how Hange had acquired the Titan, given their injury, but was thankful for it either way. 

"They're all fine except for Levi. He can't keep anything down... Or in." Eren pursed his lips together and knitted his brows tightly. Hange looked him up and down and gave a firm nod and a thumbs up. 

"Alright, we'll be back soon, keep a real close eye on him, yeah? Get them fluids in even if you have to knock him out." 

"Got it. Be safe, you two." 

"Will do, thanks." Hange said, switching their mic off. "You look perfect. If anyone asks this guy's name was Dario." Hange said with a shrug and a crooked smile. Eren hesitated for a moment before smiling. 

"What is it?" 

"Hmm, the name just sounds familiar is all. No big deal." Eren shrugged it off and returned his mind to the goal at hand. Search the camp without getting caught and get out as soon as he's got the goods - without being distracted. By human lives. That could be saved. 

Fuck. Eren felt royally screwed. He'd have to work quick if he was going to get Hannah out in one piece too, provided he could find her. Hange took his folded clothes and tucked them under their good arm. "Good luck," Eren was wished before he headed back into the Titan camp in his new attire. The inhabitants seemed to be in wind-down mode for the evening, returning to tents and bathing. Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck prickle upwards, Eren steeled himself and took his first few steps into the camp. 

Get in, get out, as soon as he can. There's no time to worry. 

He made his way through the camp without any hitches, occasional men looking up at him as he walked past, others paying him no mind whatsoever. Nothing suspicious. He brushed past a tree, deliberately scratching his hand against the sharp bark, enough to draw a small amount of blood. Shaking the crimson droplets off as they dripped down his hand, he approached what he remembered as the medical building. It was more of a half dilapidated corrugated metal lean-to, with a few clay bricks holding it up, but it was thankfully still the correct building nonetheless. 

There was a man inside with similar clothing on to Eren, only he wasn't wearing a bandana - he had silvery hair tied back into a bun and wore thin rimmed glasses. Eren had to stop himself from gulping because he recognized the man as their leader instantly. Just perfect. The man looked up at Eren and he presented the side of his hand with it's small scrape by means of explanation for his presence. The man didn't regard Eren for long, since it would appear he was here for himself too, binding his ankle with a thick roll of bandage. From what Eren could recall, they didn't have anyone specifically assigned to manning this room, people just came and went as they so needed.

The room contained a few empty bunks, as well as some shelving units for equipment and medical supplies. It wasn't by any stretch of the imagination clean, but Eren was able to pinpoint the vials and boxes of antibiotics he required. Since the air strike would be hitting in just under three hours, when almost everyone would be sleeping. Eren pondered on it for a short moment, surprised he didn't find himself wishing they deserved worse, to know it was coming, to feel the impending doom. All Eren could feel was relief. Sure, they were criminals and their jobs as soldiers was to eradicate the threat, but they were all still human, no different to he. If he had a choice to be told whether or not he was going to die, he'd surely opt for ignorance. 

Eren moved over to a small wash bowl and tore open a small disinfectant wipe sachet, wiping his cut off. It stung, but it would be worth the pain if he pulled this off. It gave him an excuse to be here, after all, especially with the Titan's leader right behind him. He didn't make any attempt at speaking with the man, nor did the man attempt to speak to Eren in the tense moment it took for Eren to clean his hand and strap a plaster over the area. Eren tipped his cap at the man before leaving and he grunted noncommittally as Eren left. 

He couldn't get any medicine while the man was in there in the same room as him, so he would have to wait. He looked as if he was almost finished though, so Eren decided to take the short walk across the camp to where he had initially been held upon arrival all those years before. Maybe there were other captives around too that he could gently remind to get out. Given the Titan's lack of humane treatment towards their kidnapped women and children, death would have been a kindness to them. Eren understood all too well how many times he'd witnessed friends wishing to be put out of their misery instead of going on with more torture. Some even succeeded. 

Eren couldn't be more pleased than right now at his choice to keep fighting. It was the only thing that had kept him sane in the Titan's company, made him stronger even though the experience stripped him bare of everything he thought he had. 

He approached a small tented area with a few hammocks hung underneath large angled tarps, eyeing briefly over the spaces so as to not draw attention to himself. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation. The area he'd initially been brought to appeared to no longer be as it was when he stayed here. A few tents had moved, trees cut down or new structures erected. It wasn't completely unrecognizable, though. The way they set up their 'guests' sleeping arrangements was still very much the same, little effort being given to their wellbeing. 

"Huh, there's no one here..." Eren said under his breath, looking at the empty sleeping area. He directed his attention toward the north area of the camp downhill toward the coca fields. Perhaps they all hadn't come back yet? If they had in fact made their exit, Eren wouldn't go around notifying anyone. The Titans would likely disperse into the nearby rainforests to find them and with that move there was a chance they would stumble across their own camp and avoid the air strike. 

The squad didn't have the energy or the ammo to deal with a few loose hundred Titans in the forest. 

Eren continued down the camp to the edge of the crop fields without any disturbances. He cast a glance around the darkening fields, the sun slowly setting over the edge of the overhanging mountain behind him, steadily hiding itself behind thin clouds as the valley slunk into darkness. The entire area was near silent, aside from the hum of insects, evening birdsong and the gentle jostle of activity from the camp behind him packing down for the day. There was zero signs of any captives. 

Not wasting a moment longer, Eren turned on his heels before he drew attention to himself and followed the side trail back up through the camp toward the medical hut, his hearing feeling hypersensitive to every single breaking twig, chirping bird, rustle in a tent. The plane would soon be humming through the air in the distance, ready to deliver it's payload to the giant target of which Eren was stood on the bullseye. Not the ideal location to be in. It would take him an hour up steep slopes to get away from the blast radius, so that shortened his visitation time more so. 

The potent stench of marijuana floated through the air, hitting him like a brick to the face as he approached an open-plan gazebo type tent. There were multiple rebel fighters all lazing around, smoking their joints and drinking their unmistakable home-made fermented alcohols. Eren was pretty sure he could walk past the tent in his full military uniform and none of these men would notice he'd even gone by. At least he had clarity of mind as an advantage over most of them. Especially at this time of day - their relaxation time. 

Eren carefully tipped his head around the corner of the entrance to the medical hut and found no one inside, or outside. By now, everyone had either returned to their sleeping tents at the northern tip of the camp or were hanging around the edges, resting. Eren didn't complain one bit at how smoothly this was going, although he felt his entire body tense throughout the entire ordeal. He made quick work of looking around for a bag to put everything in, and as if by divine chance, an old leather bag sat empty and squashed underneath a stack of old cloths beside a crooked and waterlogged bookshelf. 

He tugged it out and opened it up, the top unclasping and opening on hinges, like a doctor's bag. 

"Holy shit..." Eren said under his breath, looking at the bag with wide eyes before forcing himself up to empty whatever he could fit inside. Fortunately it was a medical bag, so was designed for this very purpose. If done quickly but neatly, utilizing his organization skills obtained by Levi, using what he was sure was his father's stolen bag from seven years ago, he could optimize the space and take more than they would need, rather than less. 

Bottles of stolen sedatives, most likely out of date, were carefully stacked into the bag alongside bandages, packaged dressings and sealed syringes. Eren found a drawer containing drip bags of fluids and could have cried with joy at the sight of antibiotic vials. He'd hit the jackpot. He had his earpiece in and his radio was hooked to Dario's 'borrowed' belt beneath his shirt, but Eren kept his reports to himself until he'd managed to find a way back into the trees with this large doctor's bag, full to the brim. 

Hange had been quiet over the radio so presumably was waiting for him to either confirm his success or confirm his failure through silence. A quick glance at his watch and he was well ahead of time, ready to get out of this place for good. 

Stepping outside the medical hut, the camp was as quiet as it was when he'd entered roughly an hour ago, including the time it had taken him to walk around to the bottom and back. No one asked who he was or where he was going. He just walked through the middle of the camp as if he were invisible. It was nerve wrecking, but exhilarating at the same time. Little did these people know what was going to happen. The beginning of the end to their tyranny was imminent. 

Eren passed through the tree line without looking back and let out a long, quiet sigh, pressing forward and unhooking his radio to turn the volume up. "Hange, come in, over." 

"Status report. Now." Levi's voice crackled over the radio. He sounded as irritated as when Eren had switched his radio off and he'd thought he'd lost him to the Titans. He sounded tired and his voice was a little slurred, but that was most likely down to the heavy painkillers Christa had been giving him to help him sleep as his body fought the infection in his system. 

"Gravy, boss," Eren responded in his thickest Titan accent, smiling to himself. When no one responded for a long moment he replied again, "I'm on my way back, Sir. No company." 

"Are you sure?" Hange asked.

"Affirmative." Eren confirmed after a quick glance over his shoulder. It was as if he was never there. 

"You had us worried for a sec there, you make a very convincing Titan," Hange said with a laugh. Eren could only imagine the unimpressed look on Levi's face right about now for joking about something so serious. The funny part was Eren couldn't see the seriousness of the matter - he had never before felt so truly free of the rebel's grasp as he did in this moment. Walking through the very camp they'd held him captive, where he'd met Mikasa, where he'd fought for their lives. None of that mattered now, everything had changed for the better. 

"I'll be back at camp in about an hour. I have what we need." 

"Yeah," Hange said, amusement in their tone, "we've got a surprise back at camp for you too." 

"Huh?" Eren furrowed his brows. 

"Ah ah, you'll just have to wait and see." Hange said cryptically, although Eren could hear a lot of talking in the background, excited. Eren's confused curiosity only fueled him to walk faster, his legs starting to burn as he all but jogged uphill for a solid thirty minutes. He didn't have time to think about what if's waiting for him in the campsite, but once he did arrive his face lit up brighter than it had in years. 

Tears of joy would then follow as his surprise was presented to him.


	30. Return

The feeling that impacted Eren as soon as he reached the camp was similar to being shot point blank into his flak vest again. His chest and lower back still held bruises and aches of these very instances from the raid several days prior. Only, this kind of impact had his chest tightening uncomfortably, his vessels trying desperately to accommodate the excess in adrenaline that his body was struggling to understand where it had been stimulated from. 

His breath shortened and his whole body felt heavy and racy, his head spun and his legs unwittingly began moving upon their own accord. He didn't remember when his fingers had gone slack and he'd dropped the medical bag, but his body soon found itself in solid contact with said external stimuli his body was struggling to cope with. 

Eren couldn't stop his tears as he launched himself over toward where Hannah was stood beside Mina and Thomas. He barely noticed the squad around him staring as he hugged Hannah so tight they feared she may snap in half. The squad recognized him in but were still startled from the corners of their eyes as they almost mistook him for a Titan. 

Hange stood to the side with a grin on their face, waiting patiently for Eren's ugly sounding sobbing to stop and for him to stop clinging to the three young adults. He was so elated and overwhelmed by the sudden development that he was unable to form words for a good few minutes as they held each other and greeted with kisses to cheeks. Levi may have felt a subtle pang of jealousy if he were lucid enough to leave his tent. 

"Is it just you three?" Eren asked, Mina nodding to confirm. He smiled brightly and nodded in acknowledgement, the rush of overwhelm slowly leaving him, trickling away into a light, warm feeling of relief. "Oh shit! Uh, hang on a minute, guys," Eren exclaimed, startling the three as he doubled back the way he'd come, rushing to the medical supplies and hauling the bag over to Christa who was sat outside Levi's tent. 

"Christa, how is he?" Eren said in a hurry. He desperately wanted to feel happy about having his friends alive and safe, but with Levi looking as rough as he did, he couldn't maintain the serotonin for long. He cast a glance inside at Levi who was laid out on his bed roll with a hand loosely draped over his right side, covering what looked like an old bandage, the red seeping through. His skin was pale and clammy and he fidgeted slightly in his restless sleep. He still had the radio nearby he'd evidently demanded to use upon waking up to find Eren missing. 

"I think he was hallucinating earlier, he kept talking to you even though you weren't there..." Christa said with a hint of caution in her voice. 

"What was he saying?" Christa awkwardly scratched her neck as she opened the doctor's bag, evaluating the contents closely so she wouldn't have to meet Eren's worried eyes. 

"How much he missed you, amongst other things..." Eren felt himself cringe with discomfort. He wasn't sure whether it was due to being potentially found out about, or whether he hadn't been here to comfort his lover. Perhaps it was a mixture of both. 

"Other things?" Eren dared ask. He was curious to know how much she knew, whether she had believed what Levi was saying, whether or not he had given them away and who else knew. 

"Don't worry Eren, we all know..." Christa said with a bright smile, despite Levi's condition. Eren groaned and hid his face in his hands. 

"How long?" 

"Long enough, besides - you've got some great meds here, do you want to do his change?" The question was rhetorical, of course Eren wanted to. He felt thankful of Christa for offering a way out of talking about his relationship with their superior. "Give him some of this, too. A good half a syringe at least." Christa instructed, thrusting a few packets and bottles into Eren's hands before he had chance to protest. 

"Has he eaten anything?" 

"Not yet, what he does keep down only ends up either vomited out or out the other end. That should help, though." 

"Alright," Eren said as he let himself into Levi's tent, guilty somewhat of leaving his friends behind so soon. "Hey, Christa?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Can you tell them about me and Levi?" Eren asked quietly. "Maybe with Armin?" 

"Now?" 

"Uh, yeah, I guess. Tell them I'll be done in a minute..." 

"Take your time. I'll send them over, you can tell them yourself." 

Eren sighed, but otherwise held any complaints he had. Christa disappeared across the camp and Eren heard her telling the group of newcomers that he was just tending to their Captain's wound, and that he wouldn't be long. She dipped her voice a little lower but Eren couldn't catch it as Levi's left hand brushed his knee. He tore his attention away from eavesdropping and quickly looked down at Levi. 

"Ma, is that you?" 

"It's me, Levi. It's Eren." Levi didn't seem to hear him, or at the very least register what he'd said - not opening his eyes, just opening his hand up for Eren to hold as he groggily continued. 

"How is Izzy?" Levi asked, stumping the younger man. He'd never heard that name before. 

"Who?" 

Before Levi could conjure a coherent response, he fell back to sleep, brows knitted in confusion as his closed eyelids fluttered and he twitched in his sleep. Eren took this as best as any opportunity to move Levi's arm away from his side and gently peel back the dressing, making quick work of cleaning it before the smell made him wretch or squirm in discomfort as if usually did. He worked carefully, having to lean over the tent to zip it shut to keep the bugs out. The last thing Levi needed was malaria from all the mosquitos sheltering from the rain with a hot body to feast from. 

"Mmm, mmren..." Levi mumbled as he fidgeted on his bed roll, his breath coming out through his nostrils in short labored pants. Eren regarded him with a concerned glance when he looked Levi up and down. Unfortunately out in the jungle they didn't have the luxury of hospital monitors, so being able to tell what was going on in Levi's body was entirely down to physical checks and by looking at his symptoms. 

His mouth parted slightly as he seemed to struggle with breathing and in a panic, Eren called Christa over straight away. All he'd done was clean his wound off, so he was sure there was nothing he had done to create Levi any discomfort. Christa unzipped the tent and scooted in, the tent only really designed in size for two people. She fixed Levi's arm with a band which she pumped up to check his blood pressure and immediately started barking orders to Eren, getting him to fish through all of their medical supplies. Dread crept up the back of Eren's neck like a snake, his throat constricting. 

Christa twisted her head out to look at the squad chatting lightly with Eren's old companions, barking in an uncharacteristically firm tone, making everyone listen straight away. "Someone make something to hang an IV drip from!" 

"Eren, pass me one of those drips. How many are there?" Eren looked in the bag at how many fluid bags he'd managed to grab. 

"Uh, eight." 

"Alright," Christa helped herself to the antibiotics Eren hadn't injected yet, shooting them carefully into Levi's arm. "Have we got anything labeled for blood pressure?" Eren had a dig through the bag at all the tiny vial bottles he had snagged on his trip. He pulled one out and handed it to Christa who read the bottle and nodded. "Great, this is the stuff. I also need insulin and some sort of corticosteroid." 

Eren's mind swam in possible outcomes of Levi not surviving the infection and he felt his eyes burn with unshed tears of worry. He focused on the task however and managed to provide Christa with everything she needed as she set up an intravenous fluid drip. Connie let himself over and handed a long stick with a boot lace strapping a base onto it. Christa was able to hook the IV bag to the top of the stick and let it hang, releasing steadily. Levi shifted and tried moving, but it was clear his exhausted body wouldn't let him be in any comfort, making Eren feel completely useless to comfort him. It was heartbreaking, despite the joyous news today had given him. 

For all of his attempts, he couldn't bring himself to feel happy for long. Not with Levi looking so fragile. Christa patted him on the shoulder once she was done and told him to leave his wound uncovered for a little while, but to keep the tent sealed. She got up and left and before Eren moved too, he placed a quick kiss on Levi's forehead, despite knowing it would do little to soothe him. 

Once all outside and amongst the team mates all exchanging concerned glances in their direction, Christa spoke up, addressing primarily Hange. "We won't be able to move him for a few days. We've got enough antibiotics to help him start to get rid of the infection but it's already septic, he almost went into shock." 

"What does that mean?" Sasha asked carefully, worry all over her face to match the stoic expressions on everyone else's faces. 

"It means his blood might clot. He could get gangrene, limbs could die off or worse, organs could shut down. I think he'll be okay now though, we'll have to see how he responds to the medicine, but Hange, we can't move him." 

"I understand. We've got the air strike soon so we'll be here to pick off any stragglers and confirm the mission successful. He'll have time to rest. I can give him five days at most."

"Good." 

Eren's shoulders sagged slightly with relief and he was approached eventually by Mina, Thomas and Hannah, all smiling at him broadly. He tried his best to return the smile, soon gesturing for them to join him in the small confines of Levi's tent. Eren scooted in to sit beside Levi's head, Mina scooted in beside him and Hannah beside her. Thomas crouched by the entrance, leaving it open. The three were a little bit curious as to why Eren wanted them here of all places, but he soon begun elaborating. He spoke quietly, so as to not give himself away to his Ragakan comrades, a lot of whom were curiously glancing over at them all huddled inside the Captain's tent. 

"This is Levi. He's the one who took Mikasa and me back to the city." All three pairs of eyes looked at the sick man before them. It was obvious he was a soldier, since he had his combat pants on and a black vest pushed up his torso where his small wound was on his right side. His stomach was well toned, as was the rest of him for that matter, and although he had a good week's worth of dark stubble, they could tell he was probably one of the oldest members here, thus, most likely their leader. 

"We went back to the city with the military and they let me join them. I had to train a lot." Eren explained and the girls were clearly eyeing him up and down, taking in his new, defined physique with widening eyes. Thomas just grinned at him and nodded for him to continue. 

"Anyway I helped find the main camp, we took out the drug lab to the east, too, but... As you can see it wasn't without it's casualties." 

"Does that mean they're finally done for?" Mina asked, hopeful and mirroring Thomas and Hannah's expressions of intrigue.

"I think so. This seemed to be their main camp here, and it's gonna be hit with a bomb any minute now." The trio seemed at a loss for words, milling over what they'd just been told. 

"How did you three survive the blast?" Eren had been dying to ask ever since he saw Hannah in that field the week before. Mina smiled a cheeky little grin and leant over to face Eren. 

"Alright, so you remember those barrels we hid between?" Eren nodded. "The metal wall was loose behind them so we crawled under. Got caught pretty much straight after and the guys who found us, although Titans, did keep us safe. We retreated with them and ended up at this camp." 

"Yeah, and when I saw you in that field I almost had a heart attack!" Hannah interjected with a laugh, making Eren smile a little easier now. Levi would twitch occasionally, but the medicine was taking it's effect and he was as good as unconscious while the four quietly caught up. "We had no idea where they would take you or if they were coming back..." 

"I tried to get them to go back for you but they said they couldn't find you, we all assumed you had died in the explosion..." Eren said softly, sadness and regret for not trying harder welling up in him. Mina placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and the feeling passed quickly. Regret was pointless now that they were all here with him now. "So how did you get out of the camp this time?" 

"Oh, that was easy," Thomas said with a smirk. "It was just us three captive down there, so we literally snuck out the back into the trees yesterday. They all just meet in the middle to get wasted so it was an easy slip." 

"Yeah, if I'd have known it would be that easy I would've done it months ago!" Hannah chuckled softly.

Levi grumbled softly as he stirred, trying to turn to sleep on his left side toward Eren. The brunet quietly pulled him over onto his side as the three carried on with their story and Eren took Levi's hand in his right hand, his left holding over the top, thumbs gently stroking the skin.

"So we came uphill and found a bunch of monkeys had found something," Mina explained. "We noticed it was your gear. We couldn't carry everything but we picked up what we thought might be most useful. Medicine, ammo," Thomas finished, gesturing over his shoulder to the squad, at no one in particular. Eren smiled and nodded. There was a long silence whilst the trio quietly observed the way Eren held the unconscious man's hand in his own. It was caring and tender, worry knitting his brows together ever so subtly as he kept his eyes on Levi. 

"He means a lot to you?" Hannah spoke as if on everyone's behalf. Eren nodded, moving his hand to brush the hair out of Levi's face. It was greasy against his palm and his skin radiated heat from his fever, but Eren didn't stop himself because of his company. 

"I don't really know when it happened, but..." Eren glanced outside, observing the rain that was now starting to fall. "I'm pretty sure we love each other." 

"I'm happy for you..." Hannah said quietly. 

"Yeah, invite us to the wedding!" Thomas said with a grin just as Hange came over and crouched over in their poncho. Eren felt relieved at being able to hide his red flushed cheeks from the squad.

"Alright guys, I'm gonna need you all over at the shelter." The squad had spent the afternoon whilst Eren was away re-enforcing their shelters with logs and branches, ensuring that nothing would fall on them once the air strike hit, which was due soon. Armin called across the camp announcing a ten minute countdown to the strike. "Eren, you stay with Levi." Hange gave Eren a knowing look and he nodded, obeying his orders and waving at the trio as Hange escorted them into place. 

Eren sat by Levi's side, getting himself comfortable as the older man rolled onto his back and tried to pry his eyes open. He failed for the first few attempts, throwing an arm up over his eyes to shade them from the residual daylight making it difficult to see after however long he'd been sleeping for. Eren had hoped he was waking up because he felt better, but the struggle Levi was experiencing in waking up was not voluntary. 

Levi's chest started to convulse and his stomach muscles contracted. All he could feel as his stomach tried in vain to rid itself of it's contents was the convulsions causing his inflamed wound pain. He groaned miserably before falling into silence again, trying to fall back to sleep once sure his nausea had passed. The plane on approach blended in well with the sounds of thunder in the distance, offering them even more coverage up until the very last moment. 

The explosions were felt before they were heard and Levi was vaguely aware of Eren leaning over his side, and was vaguely aware of a loud ass noise a few moments later, Eren kindly covering his ears when the bombs fell, shaking the tent violently in the shockwaves for what must have only been a minute or two, feeling more like an hour through the ringing in Levi's disoriented senses. The infection had made him extremely lightheaded, so whenever he moved in a hurry to evacuate one end or the other, he'd instantly regret getting up and collapse. Staying still was his best option. 

He slept on and off for the next few days, overheard a few idle conversations, didn't retain any of the information and found himself forgetting what had just happened, events stolen from him by dreamless sleep. The only things that woke him were never noises, only ever physical stimuli. His bandages being changed, his mediation being administered, a warm wet towel against his forehead leaving a cooling trail in it's wake. The cold sensation didn't noticeably disturb him on this particular occasion, so he dared to open his eyes. 

The light didn't sting his eyes as much as it usually did and he found himself leaning into the warm damp feeling lingering on his right cheek and neck when his carer evidently noticed him waking. It had been over a month since he'd properly held Eren in his arms, kissed him freely, relaxed in his company, tasted his skin. He sighed softly, the brunet's name falling tiredly from his lips as if to gain his lover's attention.

"Sorry Sir, it's Christa," came the soft response as the warm damp cloth continued on to his neck and chest, occasionally being rinsed and refreshed with warm water. Levi kept his eyes open but made no attempt to move. He didn't trust his body not to convulse yet. With chapped, parted lips he cast a glance to his side and as if understanding, Christa carefully slipped the water pack's hose into his mouth, allowing him to drink in very small sips. 

The water bathing him smelt a little like antiseptic and that which he was sipping on had a subtle flavor to it too, as if mixed with a sachet of salts. He didn't much mind, his throat felt like sandpaper whenever he swallowed, so the moisture was welcomed. 

"Status report?" Levi asked quietly but firmly, not yet sure how well his voice would work after a half week of no use.

"The squad have been and gone to the camp and confirmed back to HQ that the camp was destroyed with no known survivors. There's been no further injuries on our squad and Erwin deployed the full ranks up river three days ago to help clear our path out and clean up the rest of the Titans. We've got orders to return straight back to base, the ranks on the river have the Garrison's support. We're not needed there."

Levi stared at the ceiling of his tent where the fabric was stitched together. Just like that, years of fighting had been turned in their favor. Decades of societal influence and political debate, military expenditure and countless lives lost. The scales had been tipped by a ratty teenager he'd recognized in the jungle with a collar around his neck and cane scars across his back. The very teenager he'd worked on moulding into a man, a soldier and somewhere along the lines, a lover. He couldn't have planned the latter if he tried, but he felt relieved beyond words. 

His entire chest seemed to let go of every burden he'd placed upon himself. The relentless protection of his comrades, the wellbeing of his friends, the financial stability of his family and every role and expectation he'd held against himself as a man. Christa stopped her washing and quickly asked if he was okay as his shoulders and chest began to gently shake. Her face fell in confusion as Levi began to smile, and loosened completely as the man started to laugh. Albeit it was quiet laughter and he couldn't keep it up for long with his aching side, but nevertheless, he'd never felt so free in his life. 

"We move out in a few hours, Sir. We can carry you, no issue." Christa explained with a soft smile at the thought of finally going home. Levi looked down at his side to notice his wound had indeed begun healing. It was red all over, but the fleshy wound had closed shut, the area stained yellow with antibacterial gel. He definitely felt a hell of a lot better, but still felt drained. 

"How many days until we hit pickup?" 

"With Titan boats, sir, five days. Two days to the river on foot and the rest downstream." 

"Alright..."

It would take those further two days of hiking, Levi on a gurney, for him to finally return to his feet. The squad had set up a camp for the night along a cliff face and Levi's nostrils were locked onto one thing and one thing only. Food. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to stomach solids, so he started out small. He sat himself on a damp log and beckoned Eren over, who was carrying a mug of boar stew. 

"Your cooking?" Levi asked. Eren nodded with a smile, holding out his spoon with a small chunk of meat on the end. 

"Want to try?" Levi opened his mouth in response and Eren knitted his eyebrows together tightly as if suspicious he was being lured into a trap. Perhaps the Captain's fever had messed with his brain and made him forgot he was working, forgetting his usual stern and strict facade. The lads opposite, Marco, Jean, Armin and Connie just gawked at the pair as Levi stared blankly at Eren, clearly awaiting a depository of food into his mouth. Eren looked around, embarrassed, before sliding the spoon in. Levi bit down slowly and took hold of the end of the spoon once Eren let go. 

The guys snickered as Eren's face blushed brighter than a macaw, Levi staring at him expressionlessly as he slowly, teasingly pulled the spoon out from between his lips, licking it almost sensually as he stared right at his subordinate. 

"What are we watching?" Connie elbowed Jean whose face was scrunched up in distaste. 

"This must be what its like to see mating rituals of rare animals." Marco mused aloud with a smile, keeping his voice low so as to not interrupt the obvious moment opposite them. They'd all known Levi and Eren were a thing, they weren't blind, but the couple, until this point, had never openly displayed any affection toward the other. At least Levi hadn't. 

"Like the great white rhino..." Armin added with a smile. Jean clicked his tongue and focused on his stew as much as he could. The commentary to both sides didn't help in avoiding the display in front of him but for what it was worth he tried. Eren awkwardly fed Levi a few spoonfuls of his stew in between bites of his own, the squad quietly commentating more to annoy Jean than anything else. The dirty blond was awkward around public displays of affection, so the guys usually found great entertainment in using this against him. Levi was making it too easy for them at this moment in time.

The exact moment the special operations squad realised that Levi's fever had tampered with his brain was when he took hold of Eren's jaw and wiped some food off the younger's chin, sucking it off his thumb with a devilish grin that made Eren turn beet red once more. 

"I think Captain Levi has officially lost his marbles," Connie sighed, polishing off his stew and going back for more. 

"I'm happy for them," Armin commented, a hum of agreement coming from Marco to his side. "How long have they been dancing around us all now?" 

"Jeez don't ask me, it's been months," Jean muttered. He still clearly recalled telling the whole squad on his first week that he'd loudly masturbated to their commanding officer before he'd even joined the training regiment. "Since day one, even." 

Armin and Marco laughed softly and Connie sat back down with another stewed lump of boar meat. They were reasonably abundant lower down the mountains, closer to the larger spans of rivers, so Sasha had no issues finding everyone meals. 

Once unable to eat any more, despite being hungry still, Levi sat against Eren's side for a little while, resting his head against his shoulder while he tentatively waited to see if his stomach would hold his meal. 

"How do you feel?" Eren said as Levi helped himself to Eren's arm, wrapping it around his shoulders. Eren was sitting rigidly, not accustomed to being so open around the others with their affections. They had always kept everything under such tight wraps that he was afraid the squad might disapprove. He didn't technically have anything to worry about himself, having already escaped the risks of being handed to the military police, but Levi was still putting himself at risk by showing his feelings so brazenly and obvious. Levi simply grunted a tired response to Eren's question, so he continued. "Isn't it risky to be doing this? What if you get in trouble? What about that jail time you were telling me about?" 

"Who cares," Levi said with a shrug. Eren furrowed his brows, pulling his hand out of Levi's grip from around the older man's waist. 

"I care whether you get thrown out of the Survey Corps, how do you _not_?" Eren sounded a little more angry than he'd intended and to be met with Levi's disinterested stare only served to rile him up further. Commentary from the spectator's booth continued in hushed tones and giggles, being joined by Mina, Hannah, Sasha and Christa, all of whom had become very close these last few days, something which was possibly gender related. They all settled in with stews or tooth picks, watching the show. 

"The squad don't give a flying fuck about us," Levi said calmly, no longer bothering to keep his voice dipped low. Eren felt uncomfortable, as if what they had been doing up until this point was being wasted. All the hard work they had put into keeping their relationship hidden, suddenly shattered. 

"But what if-" Eren was abruptly cut off by Levi's lips on his own. He burnt bright with embarrassment and tried to pry the Captain off of himself. He managed to part their lips with a gasp but didn't foresee Levi pushing him back off his log onto the soggy ground and proceeding to straddle the youth, pinning him to the ground as he tried to squirm away. 

"What if _what_? They see?" Levi drawled, clearly feeling better as he rocked his hips ever so slightly, making Eren shuffle beneath him, panic and disbelief in his eyes. The squad were all laughing behind them as Levi held Eren to the ground. He tried to get up but despite having been sick, Levi was still stronger than him, so his attempts at escape were all in vain. Levi leant over him to pepper his cheeks and neck with kisses while the younger man half-heartedly fidgeted and complained. 

There was no hope in fighting him, Levi was right. If the squad weren't aware by now, they knew now, and whether Eren wanted to admit it in front of everyone or not, he'd been desperately hungering for Levi's touch for weeks now, months even. They hadn't been able to focus on one another for what felt like a lifetime and suddenly having Levi's crotch rubbing against his as he was relentlessly peppered with featherlight touches and kisses was more than enough to sway his temper. He still felt concerned for him however. He didn't want their relationship out in the open to be the cause of Levi's incarceration. 

"Come on, Yeager. Give the man what he wants!" Eren heard Connie yell, laughing obnoxiously. He waved his best attempt at a middle finger up at the squad who laughed rambunctiously, Hange now joining in. 

"Yeah, Yeager. Give the man what he wants..." Levi gripped his wrists tighter once Eren tried to wriggle away, self-conscious of all the attention. The squad got a good view of Levi's head lowering down toward Eren's, but from their angle couldn't see how Levi teased Eren's bottom lip with his tongue, giving it a gentle bite and dragging his teeth across it before releasing. Eren whined pathetically and shuffled beneath the man, legs still poking up over the log he'd been sat on, mug of stew long forgotten by his side.

Eren decided he'd have to resign his complaints for later, private discussion, and narrowed his eyes at Levi, raising to take the bait and capturing his lips in a hungry, needy kiss. Levi's hands instantly fell to the sides of Eren's face, gripping into his hair and the squad hooted and hollered as Eren's arms swung up around Levi's back and showed zero signs of pushing him off, holding him in place rather as they ravaged each other's mouths in front of everyone. 

"Oh man! What a way to put a guy off his dinner, fuck." Jean moaned, getting up and turning to do something, _anything_ else than watch their Captain give his squad mate a thorough (and literal) tongue lashing.

It didn't take long for the kiss to cool down. Levi could still feel a subtle lump of nausea in his throat and so pulled away and lay against Eren's chest, his heart hammering beneath the Captain's ear. Eren stared up into the canopy as he rested his arms around Levi's shoulders, enjoying his warmth and contact. The squad carried on around them as if nothing had happened and Eren eventually relaxed, surrendering to the man atop him. Levi had closed his eyes and it didn't take long for his weight to deepen and his body to still with sleep, his residual fever having taken whatever operational steam he had left. 

Sheepishly returning the Captain to his tent, he crawled in beside him, making sure he was comfortable before heading back out to get ready for sleep too. Once clean and wearing dry clothes, Eren bid everyone a good night, exchanged a few warm hugs with his friends and let himself into Levi's tent, smiling as not one questioning look was cast in his direction.

Perhaps Levi was right, perhaps the squad really didn't care as much as he feared. Eren silently toyed with the idea that they may one day freely express themselves in front of those closest to them. What a joy that would be, Eren mused.

So with that thought, his arms wrapped around his lover's warm body, Eren fell into a comfortable sleep with a huge, excited smile on his face.


	31. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun! The penultimate chapter!

Eren awoke to Levi pushing him off him. Awake in an instant, assuming Levi needed to vomit or worse, Eren sat up and leant straight over to unzip the tent, looking back to find a sleepy, confused looking Captain staring up at him, a questioning look on his face that undoubtedly read _'what are you doing?'_

Embarrassed, Eren sheepishly scooted back beside Levi as the older man flung the sleeping bag off, pushing himself up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Feeling better?" Eren asked. Levi's skin no longer held a clammy sheen across it, his face was less flushed pink and his eyes less tired. Regardless he helped himself to a dose of antibiotics situated above his bed roll along with a generous helping of water. Eren smiled softly, answering the question for himself. "I take that as a yes..." 

"Let's go wash," was all that came out of Levi's mouth. Eren detected an undertone of desperation in his voice, as if he'd not washed in a long time and was itching to clean off. Eren would have fully understood if he hadn't have bathed only yesterday. 

"Can we grab something to eat first?" Eren felt a subtle pang of hunger seeping in. He wasn't ravenous, but wanted to eat more than he wanted to wash. Levi looked at him with an unreadable expression, making him perk an eyebrow at the man. "What?" 

"Make it quick," Levi eventually compromised. He'd been completely ready to decline Eren's request as his superior in favor of his own wants, but decided it wouldn't be the end of the world to give the kid some leeway. It was only breakfast, after all.

"You're the best!" Eren chirped, springing up onto his knees and planting a quick kiss on Levi's cheek before he could protest, the dregs sleep still draped over him like a warm blanket. Something felt different this morning. Levi watched as Eren scrambled out of the tent, only to be bombarded with cat calls and playful, innuendo-laced commentary from the squad. It was as though a tight chord wrapped around them had been snapped, all from Levi deciding not to give a fuck what the rest of them thought, having Eren as he pleased regardless of who was watching. 

Hell, if they couldn't trust their own squad, they were on the wrong squad. Due to the regiment's significantly smaller headcount compared to the other military branches of Ragako, the members behaved much like close family, secondary blood, some of whom had no relatives so deemed their brothers in arms as good as brothers in birth. Any loss was a tragic affair and Levi would feel no different losing his blood relatives than he would a subordinate.

Eren handled the extra attention from his brothers and sisters with initial discomfort, quickly loosening up however whenever Levi would walk past with a not-so-subtle slap to his arse or a quick peck to the cheek before they sat down for breakfast. Levi would sit down beside Eren, closer than strictly necessary, and no one complained, further easing Eren's internal conflictions. Eren stuffed his stew into his mouth quickly, Levi prompting him to feed him occasional spoonfuls. Eren was all too pleased to oblige. 

"Where's the sudden love bug come from?" Marco dared ask from his position opposite the pair. They looked at each other and Eren's cheeks turned bright pink, stuttering and stammering for an excuse or an explanation for a-

"It's nothing new, I'm sure you're aware," Levi said matter-of-factly. Marco simply nodded and smiled.

"Well Eren, you've got nothing to be embarrassed about. I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say you can trust us not to take what we know beyond these trees." 

"Yeah, what happens in the forest stays in the forest!" Sasha chirped in from across the camp, probably not even entirely aware of what she was adding to. Eren mumbled a 'thanks' and Levi tugged lightly on his tee shirt as he stood, getting Eren's attention. Not wanting to hold him up any longer, or if he was honest not wanting to stay in the awkward scrutiny of his team mates, Eren quickly followed the Captain across to their bags, digging out their towels and soap. 

"Everyone stay in camp. We can leave an hour later if need be. Don't go and wash until I'm back." Levi projected his stern voice across the small camp, successful in getting everyone's attention who took him seriously, obeying the order. He all but dragged Eren into the undergrowth toward the nearby portion of river. The morning jungle song was thick with insects, the weather due to be sunny all day, the heat already noticeable through the humidity in the air. 

Eren smiled as Levi pulled him by the hand through the jungle, a thin path already created from whoever had already come by to bathe this morning, most likely Hange or the girls with Thomas. That was precisely who they found upon arrival to the river, which roared with the rumbling of a fifty foot waterfall. Mina and Hannah had seemingly just stepped in, hair still dry, whereas Hange and Thomas were rinsing off by enjoying a swim in the deepest part of the river. The landmark was surrounded by overhanging trees, a few rogue speckles of sunlight breaking through as it usually did with the gaps in the canopy created by rivers.

Levi didn't let go of Eren's hand until they reached the rocks at the edge of the river. The green, mossy boulders loomed a couple of meters above the waterline, so you'd either have to jump down into the sunlit plunge pool or climb down into the calmer shallows, which is what the squad seemed to have done, all of their towels and wet trousers laid out to sun on branches and rocks. Hange had a firm eye set on their underwear, constantly checking for 'thieving little monkey turds'. 

"Good morning!" Thomas greeted from the water, pushing his crudely cropped blonde hair back from his forehead. 

"Heya!" Came a pair of singsong voices from the ladies, smiling to greet the Captain and his subordinate in tow. 

"Hey everyone," Eren said with a big grin. Levi gestured to a flat spot of dry rock in which they should set their things, so Eren complied and everything was set down. 

"Hold my feet," Levi said, sitting down to get into position for a few sit-ups and crunches. Eren nodded and complied, waiting for Levi to go through some of his core exercises, joining in when he wasn't holding his feet down and eventually having Levi swap to hold his own. Hange passed by, only to comment on whether Levi had lost weight or not with his recent fever. To Eren it was obvious that he had in fact thinned a little in the face, having not eaten for the best part of a week. For a split second, Eren spotted what could only have been a flash of insecurity as the man looked himself up and down before glaring at the squad leader who chuckled and headed back to camp. 

"Yeah, Armin's got a message for you." Levi said, knowing Armin would pass on the 'don't interrupt us' message. Once Hange had left, Levi's grip on Eren's feet tightened, prompting him to finish his set, eyes locked on his chest and stomach as Eren's now sweaty tee clung to his muscles in the humid air. Eren could have sworn he spotted the older man licking his lips subtly, but let it go in favor of finishing his sit-ups. Hannah, Mina and Thomas followed shortly after and Eren relayed the message with an awkward smile. Thomas winked at him and patted his shoulder, whereas the ladies just grinned from ear to ear, as if privy to information he himself was not. 

Still lying on his back with Levi's hands on his feet and the sun partially in his eyes, Eren waved the three off. Levi's gaze was now locked on his and his hands slipped behind his calves, slowly trailing upward. So this had been Levi's plan all along. Eren couldn't find a single cell in his body that was bothered by the development, a slow few pecks of Levi's lips to his knees made him part his legs slightly as if in invitation. He didn't want all the affection being showered over his legs, after all. 

Levi willingly took the bait and Eren slid his feet to the side once the Captain moved his hands to slowly crawl above him, leaving a trail of featherlight kisses in his wake, each one slowly setting all of Eren's skin on fire. He had falsely assumed that Levi would waste no time in getting to their joint relief, but to Eren's surprise it was much like their first time. Sure, they both wanted to get to the action as quickly as possible, but Levi seemed to care least about penetration and more about the build. The teasing, the growing anticipation, the maddening wait. Eren would have had it no other way, since Levi's chosen methods made him feel wanted, feel every ounce of effort that was being put into him and him alone. Levi practically worshipped Eren, something which was uncomfortable and unfamiliar at first (given his upbringing), but definitely something he eventually warmed to.

Levi's palms found the stone behind Eren's head once he'd crawled up to meet the younger man face to face, slowly kissing along his jawline, eventually his lips closing in on his ear to whisper a sultry "let's go wash." The younger man bubbled with excitement and grinned as Levi got up and off him, his movements as graceful as if he were in combat. Eren sat up on his elbows as Levi stood above him, stripping his shirt off above him, allowing Eren to stare as much as he wanted, fully aware of the show he was putting on. 

Swallowing down the excess saliva that materialized at the sight of _his_ shirtless Captain, Eren took a hand offered to help him up and Levi didn't let it go as he dragged him over toward the water. The pair separated only to have each other's hands back on each other's clothes, undressing each other comfortably and casually. Levi would pull Eren's vest off over his head, leaving a trail of kisses along his torso and Eren would pepper Levi's thighs with light pecks and playful smooches as he wiggled down his combat pants. 

As soon as everything was off and beginning to wade through the water, Levi slipped a hand around Eren's neck to pull him down for a slow, passionate kiss. They had both shared the same breakfast, so morning breath was no issue. Eren smiled against his lips and returned the kiss with nothing but the affection he felt Levi deserved - and then some. The heat of their desires contrasted beautifully with the cold of the river water, any light moans swallowed whole, muffled entirely by the crashing water behind them.

Eventually Levi broke away to wade deeper in, soap in hand. Eren followed closely and the pair took turns in washing each other, Levi in particular taking his time with washing Eren's hair. Eren sat on a rock beneath the water to put himself at a decent level for Levi to massage his scalp, closing his eyes and smiling softly in approval at the way his fingertips kneaded through his hair. Levi slowly found his footing and maneuvered his way into Eren's lap beneath the gentler edge of the waterfall as he tipped his head back to rinse the soap. 

Once clean, they moved away from the falls just enough to be able to hear each other speak without raising their voices, sitting in the shallows by the cliff they'd walked down to get to the water's edge. It was Eren's turn to sit on the Captain's lap as per his orders. Eren made himself comfortable and smiled down at the Captain who had his hands around Eren's waist. Levi's face was furrowed softly, apparently deep in thought. 

"What you thinking about?" Eren craned his neck down to the side to get a better look at Levi, who was staring at his chest, one hand on his thigh and the other stroking over the bristly hairs on Eren' pectorals. Levi pressed his lips together and hummed, something playing on his mind.

"I'm worried." 

"About what?" Levi didn't respond immediately, twirling the wet hairs on Eren's chest around in little circles, watching how they bunched together and made small dark swirls against his burn mottled skin. His hand stilled on Eren's chest and he finally looked up to meet Eren's eyes. 

"That you'll realize you don't want me..." Eren frowned at Levi as the older man averted his gaze, surprised that he was expressing his insecurities at all. He was usually level headed and logical about most things, even emotions. Eren supposed it was silly to think he didn't have fears or concerns, he'd just never been very vocal with them before. Eren relaxed his knit brows and gently took Levi's cheeks in his hands to pull his attention back. Pressing a chaste kiss to his lips in response, Eren smiled at his lover. 

"I'll always want you." Levi's face was almost set in a scowl, although not with anger, more distaste. 

"You don't know that." 

"You should know better than anyone, if I want something, I go out of my way to get it and make sure I keep hold of it," Eren said, endeared by Levi's small, unusual waver of confidence. Levi wasn't a naturally confident man, he was just quiet. If he wasn't feeling secure he'd keep quiet about it and avoid the topic. He'd never usually offer the information willingly, so Eren was happy that he was opening up more. 

"I guess so, but what if-" Levi was cut off by yet another kiss, this time firmer. 

"I love _you_ Levi, I don't want anyone else." Levi seemed to quieten at that, reserving anything else he had to say for another time, or never. "Don't give me that look," Eren chided playfully. Levi pouted at him. 

"What look?" 

"That look - that grumpy old man pout. Come on, where's that sexy Captain who had me against the floor earlier?" Eren chuckled softly, trying to coax Levi back from out of his shell. The man cracked a small grin and Eren took the victory where it was given, leaning over to kiss him again, this time with significantly more hunger. Levi too returned the kiss with ardor and affection, moving his arms up around Eren's back, pulling him flush against him as they kissed, letting each other into one another's mouths, tongues stroking heavily and hips gently rocking, small moans or grunts escaping between small gaps for air. 

"I'm not an old man," Levi growled out as he lightly bit on Eren's lip. The younger man's eyes lit, narrowing minutely, challenging. A few long moments of fighting each other for dominance and Eren wielded. Levi's hands lowered to give his well toned bum cheeks a good squeeze, eliciting a gasp from both of them as their growing erections brushed firmly. 

"There he is," Eren breathed out as he pushed forward to kiss his Captain again, this time Levi leaning backward so he was lying in the water, flat against the muddy sands of the riverbed. The water was just shallow enough to keep his head above water and before long the pair were rolling around in the shallows, passionately sharing each other's saliva and feverishly rutting against one another's thighs and stomachs. Eren moved a hand around his back, between his bum cheeks as he hiked a leg over Levi's hips and began touching his own entrance, small grunts and groans escaping both their lips as Levi slipped a hand between their bodies and took hold of both of their erections in one hand, languidly stroking them into full hardness. 

"I've missed you," Eren mumbled quietly before his breath hitched, catching himself in a particularly sensitive spot as he breached himself with a finger. The angle wasn't the greatest, lying on his side and thrusting against Levi, the cold water sloshing gently between them, but he made do, pumping his finger in and out of himself slowly until he was able to fit two. At this point Levi had clearly had enough of waiting and shuffled away, leaving Eren hot and bothered with two fingers up his ass. 

Levi took a moment to admire the sight beneath him as Eren panted in the water, cheeks flushed red and his neck and chest peppered with pinkness. "I haven't been anywhere you haven't," Levi commented, earning a glare from the younger man. 

"You know what I mean," Eren huffed out as Levi approached to help Eren to his hands and knees. 

"I don't think I do," Levi said with a playful smirk as Eren's fingers were slowly replaced with Levi's, thrusting in and out, twisting and curling, searching for that spot that would drive the brunet wild with want. "I think you need to spell it out for me, avoid any miscommunications..."

"Haah, you get a kick out of embarrassing me, don't you," Eren moaned as Levi's fingertips curled past his prostate, the hand on his hip feeling like fire. His hands and legs were cool from the water but his back was in the sunlight, warming him as Levi added a third finger and took his dear sweet time. Eren was growing impatient as Levi awaited his response. Dipping his head low in submission he finally admitted, "please, put it in already, I can't take it any more." 

"Put what in?" Levi teased.

"Your face, what do you think?" Eren grumbled in sarcastic complaint, not entirely realizing what he'd said. He had barely a moment to focus on the movement behind him as Levi shuffled and the three fingers left his entrance in a hurry, only to be replaced with a hot, thick wet muscle with both of Levi's hands on his arse cheeks, separating them wide. Eren's arms and legs shuddered and shook as Levi helped himself to a second round of breakfast, plunging in and out and dipping low to lick a stripe up the back of his balls before teasing around the pink ring of muscle before him. Levi had previously never been this adventurous at home, not that Eren was complaining. He loved the idea of trying new things... and new locations, so long as it was with Levi. 

Once happy with his quivering mess of a boyfriend beneath him, Levi sat up, wiped his lips and leant forward, pressing his arousal against the cleft of Eren's ass cheeks, leaning over him as close as he could get to his ear. It wasn't far off, but with the height difference it definitely wasn't flush. "Any other requests, while I'm feeling so generous?" He chuckled out, kissing Eren's back muscles with admiration.

"Just get on with it already, I'm about to explode and I'd rather come with you in me if I have a choice," Eren said over his shoulder with a small grin on his face. Levi leant back up after another smooch to Eren's middle back and aligned his hips, giving Eren's bum cheek a light slap, watching as he shuddered and panted in anticipation. 

"Better keep those arms up, don't want you drowning yourself." 

"Sounds kinky," Eren quipped with a small laugh. 

"Maybe another time, for now, just enjoy," Levi nudged the head past the loosened ring of muscle and bit back any noises as he pushed in as deep as he'd go, small thrusts helping to seat him in deeper on each inward push. Eren held no reservations with his voice, letting small mewls and keening noises tumble from his lips. Satisfied with Eren's comfortability with a nod of the brunet's head, Levi begun thrusting slowly at first but quickly picking up pace to suit his own desires. 

They hadn't had all that many times where they had gone all the way in terms of penetrative sex, mainly sticking to frotting or hand/oral ministrations due to time limitations, being on base, or general confidence issues, but each time they did it they go grew closer to one another, learning what they both liked through lived experience. Neither of them fully understood themselves due to inexperience in that department but it was exciting nonetheless to be discovering them anew together.

Once set into a quick, firm pace, both men's breathing growing more haggard, Eren blurted, "grab my hair Levi." Levi faltered in his rhythm for a moment, asking whether Eren was sure, and with nothing to lose from the experience urged him on. "Deeper, haa, harder Levi," he all but moaned. As soon as Levi took a careful hold of a large tuft of hair on the back of Eren's head, enough so as to not harm him, Eren let out a loud, throaty groan, which Levi took as his cue to tighten his grip and pound harder into that deliciously tight heat. 

Eren was shaking all over and moaning out strings of profanities mixed with Levi's name as said man hammered into him, his head pulled back slightly with the handful of hair as the cold water splashing around their thighs and the warm morning sun warmed their naked flushed bodies. 

Levi tightened his grip on Eren's hair at the encouragement and used his spare hand to grip his waist, balancing himself as his thrusts sped up, pushing as deep as he could get before he reached his peak. Eren wasn't much further off and with a few more powerful thrusts and a shaking hand stroking his own cock, Eren came into the water, tightening impossibly around Levi, pushing him in turn over the edge of his own arousal, that tightly wound spring cutting loose and flooding his senses with euphoria. Both men shook as Levi thrust a few more times to ride out his orgasm, Eren trying to keep himself upright as he stroked himself through his own.

Eren fell forward off of Levi, making them both gasp with the movement. He rolled onto his side as he heaved, eyes shut and heart pounding. Levi sat back in the water and waited for the white spots to disappear from view. 

"Did I hurt you?" Levi asked, noticing how disheveled Eren's hair was at the back. The younger man shook his head and smiled, sitting up slowly and patting his hair down. 

"I'm fine. That was damn hot, holy shit..." 

Levi smiled slightly, still feeling the post-orgasm haze smeared over him like thick sunscreen, "yeah, heh." Eren crawled over to a place a slow kiss on Levi's lips, which the Captain accepted without complaint. Smiling against his lips, Levi broke away to inform him they ought to get clean again. Eren agreed and flopped over to the shore to pick up their soap. They played in the water after washing, reminiscent of their weekend spent in Kenny's neighbor's pool, enjoying their company and stopping every so often for slow kisses and playful touches. Levi made a special point to gently massage at the back of Eren's scalp, as if soothing where he'd held so firmly. 

Sat on the warming rocks beside the water once they were finished with their fun, (and perhaps another orgasm each), they chatted lightly between themselves, about Eren's recovered friends, about the squad, about home. Small, trivial little things though they may have been, just made the comfortable environment all the more relaxing. In this one little pocket of time, neither of them had to play a role, obey orders or keep any appearances up for the sakes of others. 

"You're making me cinder toffee when we get home." Eren grinned at Levi's pronunciation of the food's Karanese name and nodded along to the order.

"It's not optional, is it?" 

"No." Eren chuckled at Levi's seriousness in the matter of sweet crunchy treats. He didn't have much of a sweet tooth, which made Eren wonder if it were just something Levi enjoyed because he'd been the one to make it for him. 

"Think my dad knows anyone we can refer Marco to?" Eren asked Levi, raising his voice to project above the waterfall. 

"He's bound to know someone," Levi mused, finishing off his drying and slipping into his clean boxers, passing Eren's to him as the younger man finished drying off himself. 

"Yeah, he says he wants to get a prosthetic and carry on with the regiment, I dunno what I'd do if I lost a leg." 

"It's not like it's the end of the world, all the more to him, I say."

"I guess." 

"Let's face it, it wouldn't stop you from training, would it?" Levi said as he drifted back over to Eren's personal space, letting himself in and wrapping his arms around his waist, kissing along his bare collarbones and Adam's apple as Eren finished buttoning up his cargo pants.

"Nope," Eren grinned slightly and Levi even cracked a half smile, that is until Hange's voice boomed over them from the forest behind them, the entrance to the path which led back to camp. 

"Oi, lovebirds, get your asses into gear!" 

Eren looked up, almost looking guilty at being caught with Levi covering his neck in nibbles and bite marks and Levi made no attempt to stop until he spotted Hange making their way down to the water's edge, fully geared up. 

"Shit, what time is it?" Levi shrugged at Eren's question and the pair waded over to their clothes and towels. Having had such a fun time in the water they'd both evidently lost track of time and neither knew how long they had been here. It felt like hours. 

"You've been out here for at least an hour, we're all packed and ready to go, minus two." Levi shot Eren a grin and they both, like scolded children, obeyed Hange's request, got dressed and followed after, heading back in Hange's wake to get geared up. Once back at camp they spent no time in strapping their equipment on and adjusting their rucksacks. 

"You feeling alright, Sir?" Christa asked, handing Levi a small handful of various pills to take with a fresh pack of water. He took them without complaint, thanked her and informed her he was feeling better, albeit a little bit tired around the edges. Nothing he couldn't handle with plenty of fluids. Christa had taken the liberty of mixing his water with one of the sachets of salts, so his drink throughout the day would taste faintly of berries. 

"Alright, we all ready to go?" Levi asked of his squad who all replied back eagerly, keen to get home on the double. 

Jean helped Marco stand, who was looking a little bit healthier with a week's worth of rest following his impromptu amputation, and helped him onto the gurney otherwise used until late for Levi. The extra time spent horizontal would help speed up his recovery too, which was good. They would all hopefully be waterborne soon, so Marco could spend the last of their journey lying down anyway. 

Setting out into the forest, everyone was high in spirits, chatting excitedly between themselves. Eren hung toward the back with Levi and Armin whilst the rest followed after Hange at the front. 

"What have you got planned for when we get home?" Eren asked Armin. The blond shrugged. 

"Provided we're given time off I suppose I'll just hang around with anyone who doesn't go home." Eren nodded, knowing Armin didn't have much in terms of family to visit himself. Shiganshina was fairly out of the way, too, so visiting north would require a good long weekend to make the most of the journey. Who knows, they would probably pass the town on their way back to the complex. 

Levi kept quiet for the most of the trek downhill toward the main river, listening to Eren speak with whoever joined in with the conversation. He didn't keep the squad in any kind of tight formation, but remained alert. Before long the squad spotted the broad river between the thick trees, the water ambling along at a gentle pace. Levi ordered everyone to stand on alert, guns at the ready. Marco was set aside and Hange waited at a distance with him and the trio of captives as the rest of the group pressed forward parallel to the well trodden Titan road they had followed until this point. 

There was a small camp of roughly ten soldiers beside the river, collected into small tarpaulin-draped structures as a makeshift supplies shelter. There was a small collection of stacked crates, supply bags and cans of gasoline tucked beneath the tarps, as well as a single area designated for cooking and eating, a few fold-up chairs littered about. The squad was close enough so that they wouldn't require binoculars, but they helped in pinpointing exactly how many bodies were guarding what they needed the most: boats. 

There was a small, makeshift dock of fallen trees with several long motor boats strung together. With the size of them, the squad would only need three to get them all back. Eren instantly recognized the boats as one of the exact type he had been transported to the jungle in when he was ten, dirty hessian sack tied around his neck and head pounding as he lay helpless in the sun. Levi adjusted his goggles over his eyes and confirmed back over radio the presence of nine bodies. He requested two more confirmations from Jean and Connie before ordering everyone into position. 

Eren, Jean and Christa were ordered to double back on themselves and reposition themselves on the opposite side of the Titan's mock dock camp. Once they confirmed their position they would move in and neutralize it. One team waited with Levi and the other shuffled back silently through the undergrowth of the jungle to ensure they weren't spotted. Once across the small road and safely into position, Jean gave the order and Levi gave the instructions to move in. 

A very sobering feeling washed over Eren, for all his happiness at Levi recovering and his friends being alive, they weren't out of the woods yet, literally. Until they set foot on military land, they weren't safe. Eren would have to withhold his celebrations until then, and only then. As Connie had said solemnly days before, it was difficult to celebrate their victory over the Titans when their losses had been so impactful. Eren couldn't have agreed more, which fueled him even more to ensure they all arrived home safe. As much as he couldn't control what happened, he had a helping hand in any outcome he was ordered into participating in. He would do everything he could to guarantee the safety of his friends and comrades. 

Guns up and carefully treading through the low bushes and ferns, the two teams weaved their way silently into the camp. It was the dead middle of the day, so naturally the Titans spotted them quickly, taking up their arms, but too slowly. Shots were fired and in their highly focused state, the scouts managed to eliminate the camp's inhabitants as swiftly as they had arrived. A body thud loudly beside the small tent Jean was stood beside and before he had a moment to register their success he heard a shuffle from beside the crates and a quiet whimper. 

Jean made quick eye contact with Eren and gestured for him to cover him as he pointed his gun and rounded the corner. His brows knitted into concentration before his gun faltered, Eren confused by his reaction as Jean looked over his shoulder before slinging his gun around his side, out of the way, moving down to crouch beside the crates. Eren moved around to get a better look and discovered Jean had come across a small body with a thick strip of fabric tied about the boy's eyes, his arms tied behind his back. 

"Hello? You're safe now," Jean quietly reassured the boy, who stilled at his voice, clearly shaken by all the shooting which seemingly came from nowhere, and so suddenly too. The boy was stifling sobs but his sniffles gave him away. He made no attempt to move as Jean slowly approached to remove the blindfold. He flinched as Jean took hold of the knot on the back of his head and shook as the blindfold was unfastened. As soon as he recognized the dark green and black crossed wings on Jean's flak vest, the surprise evident in his eyes, he slumped in on himself in relief. He couldn't have been any older than Eren had been when he'd been brought out here. 

"Hello," Eren waved with a smile when the dark haired boy looked up at him with seeming wonder in his eyes, his hands unbound by his colleague. "What's your name?" The boy regarded the soldiers silently for a moment, as if trying to gauge whether they could be trusted, still shaken from being abducted. Eren understood exactly what he was going through, so crouched down beside Jean and gave him all the time he needed. 

"Sayram." He was definitely Ragakan, Eren concluded. The name was reasonably common. 

"Alright, Sayram it's nice to meet you. This is Jean and I'm Eren. Where are you from?" Jean felt uncomfortable as Eren led the conversation with the young boy, aware of Eren's own personal experience. It did make him watch in well disguised awe and respect as Eren had Sayram smiling in no time, having found out where he was taken from, when and offering him a "personal bodyguard team" to escort him home safely. 

While Eren and Jean were busy with introductions and light disarming chit chatter, Levi beckoned the squad into the camp, sending off Connie and Sasha to go get Marco and help Hange where needed. There were no other captives anywhere after sweeping the tents, boats and crates and the squad found nothing aside from petrol which would be of use to them. 

Everyone's gear was loaded carefully into the boats depending on where they would be sat and Levi snagged a seat at the front of the lead boat. Armin would direct the squad with Jean, Connie, Sasha, Eren and Levi in the front boat. They needed their sharpest shooters at the helm should anything surprise them. Christa, Marco, Hange and their four rescued bodies would travel In the rear boat. Armin approached Levi as the man sat himself down onto one of the Titan chairs beside Marco, the bodies now neatly piled off to the side. 

"Sir," Armin said on approach, catching the Captain's attention which had been looking down at the ground between his feet, steadying himself after a sway of lightheadedness. "I've updated HQ with our location. The main unit is currently eight miles down river. We'll be seeing them in no time at all." Levi nodded along as he spoke. 

"Good." Armin left on that note and Marco quietly asked if Levi was feeling alright. "Yeah, just a bit of nausea left, nothing I can't handle." 

"How is your side?" 

"It's pretty sore but it's healed over. Itchy as fuck. How about your leg?" Levi asked, supposing to himself he ought to get the squad to refresh their bandages before they set out. 

"Yeah, it's alright I guess. I sometimes get a strange feeling where my foot should be, as if I want to wiggle my toes, but obviously nothing happens." 

"Phantom limb, eh?" asked Levi. 

"I suppose so. Sir?" Levi looked at Marco. "I just want you to know I want to get back on two feet as soon as I can. I don't want to be a burden to the squad and I hope I can still stay on board once we get back..." 

"Eren's dad might have some medical contacts for a prosthetic and rehabilitation. We'll take care of you, don't worry." Marco visibly relaxed, letting out a nervous breath Levi wasn't aware he'd been holding in. 

"We're ready to go, Sir!" Connie called across the camp. Levi waved him off, barking his own order back. 

"How are we on food and water?" 

"Enough for two days, plenty, even with the extra body."

"And gas?" Armin took this turn to respond to the Captain's enquiry. 

"Enough since we're only taking two boats instead of one. We have enough to get us to the regiment, beyond that we'll be swapping over to a PBR and if we don't stop, we can make it back to base for the early hours of tomorrow morning." 

"Do it." Levi was not wasting any more time, so once the shot came to get home in one trip came, they were doing it. It would be no longer a day than they were used to when performing missions whilst out in the jungle, so he knew the squad would be fine. They were all on the home stretch, so they would all be keen to get the job done quicker, too. 

"How about everyone's wounds. Are we clean?" 

"I'll change Marco's before we go, otherwise the rest we can do on the water," Christa said. 

"Alright, Eren help her." 

"Yes, Sir!" Eren chirped, leaving Sayram in the company of Jean, who looked down at the kid with an awkward smile, not sure what to do with him. He seemed content to smile up at the soldiers all around him with excitement, so Jean opted to stay quiet unless spoken to. 

Eren helped Christa swiftly change Marco's bandages. His wounds were still fresh, but they were showing no signs of infection, which was good. With the extra antibiotics and medical equipment provided courtesy of the Titan stronghold, Marco was able to stay healthier out in the wet heat of the rainy season. The monsoon season was particularly tricky since a lot of the diseases were waterborne, so it was only through some miraculous anomaly that Marco didn't experience any complications. 

Once everyone was loaded into the boats, the final leg of their journey began. The squad remained on alert, keeping their eyes peeled for any signs of retreating Titan boats, given they were headed straight into the fray. Gunshots couldn't be heard popping in the distance, so they figured the main regiments were either finished or all dead. 

Eren watched his captain with a weary expression. His head was hung, resting in his hands. Perhaps twenty minutes in, the gentle sway of water finally turning his guts enough, the man threw his hands to the rim of the boat and emptied his stomach into the water. Sasha gave him some soothing pats to the back as his body wretched and shook. When finished, as much as he would have loved to lie down and sleep, he sat with his crossbow over his lap.

With the motor boats, the short distance to their checkpoint was passed quickly. Multiple patrol boats were sat around on the wide, smooth patch of dark water. Connie cheered when he lowered his binoculars, confirming their safety. 

"This is squad Levi on approach in enemy vessels, hold fire, over." Levi called over the radio Armin had set up to the small fleet ahead. 

"Great, come over, command is situated aboard CLSL." Levi had never been so relieved to hear his Commander's voice as he was in this moment. He relayed the message and the two small boats passed a few somewhat empty military boats, their human contents obviously still out in the jungle. They pulled their boats up against a slightly larger boat, possibly the biggest one there, finding Erwin standing on the back to welcome them. 

Extending a hand, Erwin helped Levi out first as Hange's boat approached, slowing to a stop. 

"You're late, and you look like shit." Levi grunted at his superior as the other soldiers onboard helped unload the smaller river boats of the squad's gear and injured bodies. Erwin's eyes darkened when he took a look at the faces that returned. It was more, but there were still two missing; Mike and Ymir. A simple questioning look from Erwin, confirmed by a slow shake of Levi's head was all the two needed to do to confirm their deaths. Nothing more was said of it. They would both let the wounds settle first before bringing it up formally. For now they just wanted to get home before returning to regular base-life and work, which would involve contacting families. 

"Welcome aboard," Moblit greeted them from his small seat surrounded with radios and wires, a thick set of headphones over his ears as he sat to relay messages from their troops out in the forest. Hange and Levi gave him a nod before the man returned to his work, listening intently to whatever he was being told and relaying to Erwin who returned to focusing on his maps and plans in the central cabin at the front end of the boat. 

Once all on board, Erwin gave Moblit the order to call for the boat they would all be using the return to the compound. It arrived within five minutes and a final move done, carefully maneuvering Marco on the bed of the new boat as the rest filed in around the edges to sit down, the gear between their feet beside Marco. The trip back to HQ went quickly, since a lot of the squad members slept throughout the most of it, exhaustion finally taking over now they were in safe waters. It grew dark quickly and the boat showed now signs of stopping, Eren and Jean taking shifts at driving whilst Connie and Sasha swapped out every few hours to man the head turret, just in case. The rest of the squad curled onto their hard benches, the floor, sat upright in seats with their heads hung against their chests as they tried to sleep. 

It would be just past one in the morning when the team finally arrived back to the mainland, passing familiar and widening riverbanks and eventually reaching the eastern docks to the complex. It would be another further three hours for the team to unpack and return to the base, debrief and house their rescued captives in empty dorm rooms. 

Eren was one of the last remaining people to make it to his bed, insisting on helping Levi direct the squad into some semblance of order. Everyone moved sluggishly, their exhaustion and relief evident on their faces especially during the early hours of the morning. Everyone clearly just wanted to stop what they were doing and collapse into sleep, but Levi wanted everything done before then. They could rest for longer afterwards, that way. It was a reasonable request which no one questioned or contested. At least not verbally. 

"You staying in the dorm tonight?" Levi asked, as if he hadn't just ordered everyone to "piss off and get some sleep". Eren assumed since they were back on base he'd want some space, given his recent illness, but apparently not. 

"I was going to, want me to stay in your room?" 

"Only if you want to." Eren smiled at his Captain, rolling his eyes playfully. 

"Of course I want to."


	32. Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue.

In the short weeks following the success of Levi's squad's special operation to eliminate the secondary drug lab and pinpoint the location of the alleged Titan stronghold in the northern jungles, Ragako celebrated. With colourful displays and military parades through the streets of the Capitol, the success of the mission was celebrated and congratulated alongside the celebration of the lives of the comrades lost during the mission. 

Lives were remembered, vibrant funerals held in memory of their lost ones, and public displays of victory were present all across the country. It was surely a sad time for those who had lost loved ones, fiancé's, brothers, sisters, parents or children, but nevertheless the country had never been able to congratulate it's military on it's first substantial success in what could only have been decades. 

News of the astounding success didn't just stay within Ragako. International newspapers and reporters flocked to the country's capital to report on the success against the rebels and the military, namely the Scouting regiment, put on a public display of acknowledgement. Salutes were performed and Eren and Levi found themselves before Darius Zackly and the country's monarch, alongside their entire squad, to receive the country's highest honours, medals pinned to their formal dark green blazers. 

Eren felt a rush of pride soar through him as he was presented with the highest award of all, the country's cross, something which would recognise him amongst the veterans of all military divisions.

Following the initial rush of excitement, Erwin made an enigmatic public announcement to remind the nation that the war was not yet won and that the Scouting regiment would continue giving their hearts for their cause, to improve their country and thus benefit mankind in cutting short one of it's biggest sources of cocaine. Erwin would work with military leaders from all branches to ensure a good spread was reinforced across all aspects of the country. Zackly and the monarch gave the Scouting regiment their full support. 

It would take a good year for the buzz to settle. Within that time Eren and Levi returned to service alongside their teammates. Grisha took it upon himself to work alongside a tech-savvy Hange, along with a team of anatomical designers, to begin creating prosthetics for (initially) military amputees. It would be a first for Ragako, and Marco would serve as their first real test subject. Marco was more than happy to use imported prosthetics while their team on base worked on a model that would stand the tests of active service within the Scouts. He would also trial any prototypes Grisha's team proposed, feeding back with what worked, what didn't, and how to improve them. Other volunteers would also step forward to test limbs Marco wasn't lacking.

This development in medical rehabilitation would attract the brightest minds from the field from across the globe, inspiring international meetings and conferences to share ideas and better serve their patients. It was a win/win for everyone involved with the project. 

After he returned from their mission, Marco spent months in rehabilitation, but with full support from Levi's squad and everyone on base and at home, his recovery was swift, landing him back into duty after the sixth month, even if it was initially light training and armoury admin duty. He certainly gained a heap of respect on-base, especially from the remaining veterans there were, choosing to keep fighting despite being offered a clean medical discharge if he so desired. 

With a full year to practice on one leg and aside from the slight difference in his gait, he would be in top form, rivalling his superiors and able bodied comrades with ease. He was a true inspiration story and spent a lot of his down-time with new recruits or recovering amputees, both military and civilian alike. He especially liked sharing (not too grisly) stories with post-op children, teenagers and young adults such as himself.

Levi would also make a full recovery, following a solid week of bed rest once he'd gotten back to base. He ordered Eren to go and see his dad or stay in the dorms with his team for that first week, taking only the first night for himself, the pair sleeping in their own beds, reminiscent of when Eren first stayed in the captain's private quarters.

Their squad and regiment evolved beyond belief with a sudden influx of transfers and fresh recruits from across the country. Now that Ragako's neighbours had proof that the country was serious about ridding itself of it's internal parasites, they occasionally would offer aid. It was seldom needed, but highly appreciated. Jean and Eren became squad leaders, filling in Mike and Hange's positions and Connie and Sasha went on to become firearms instructors for new recruits. The entire squad didn't see a lot of each other, only when training together in small groups for a couple of hours a day, or on formal missions. 

Whenever they had down-time, they would often spend it together if they weren't busy, but getting the entire squad together on base for one activity was rare, given everyone's elevated responsibilities and promotions. Levi continued leading his special operations squad and led multiple more missions into the jungle with his squad, plus a few new additions bulking out the ranks. Marlow being one of them, a transfer from the Military Police, fed up with the corruption and greed within the city walls, opted to join them on the front lines, quickly falling into place like a piece of the Scouting Regiment furniture. He was a skilled and valued member of the team in no time at all. 

Christa requested after their main mission to advance more within the military medical wards. She would occasionally be called upon for field missions but primarily worked her way, over the years, up to Grisha's replacement, running the emergency wards once she had enough experience under her belt. After the fourth year, a ward would be dedicated to Ymir.

The cherry to the ice cream that would be Ragako's future development regarding Titan activity, it would indeed take years for their activity to die down, their influence so well ingrained into the very skeleton of Ragako's society.  
Within the next three years the Titans would try to re-establish themselves within the forests but with the Scouts newfound awareness of the area and increased patrols, they made life very difficult for them to re-grow. The Titans wouldn't go down without a fight, but the Scouts finally held the upper hand. The time spent between missions over the next four years would slowly but surely decrease, less and less need for them as the rebel numbers dwindled lower and lower. As a direct result, less people were kidnapped than ever before. 

As a result of the rebels decreasing in numbers and activity, many years later the Scouting regiment would be mildly dispersed over time, bulking out the ranks of the Garrison and the Military Police ranks. Levi would not see this day in his military career but Eren would. He would remain with the Scouts until he was forced to pursue a more peaceful life stationed near Shiganshina. Levi would follow him. 

As for Eren and Levi's relationship, they would continue to keep things low-key for the following four years until Levi retired. (He would open a tea shop opposite Kenny's barber to keep himself busy, and sane.) It would be the same week as Eren's birthday when Levi would take the Squad Leader down to the docks where they'd first kissed and he proposed. Eren would naturally squeal a yes and from there on, they only found continued ease, especially in public. They had gone for so long with limited public affection, which suited both of them just fine, both being naturally private people, but now they had Levi free from Eren's direct report, so they were free to act as they liked. 

They would certainly not hold back in holding each other's ringed hands in public as a wedded couple. 

Before all of that could happen, however, one certain event needed to take place. It would be a day following the special ops squad's return from the jungle. Levi forced himself out of his bed after about five hours of sleep, calling Erwin only to be told to get more rest, and although reluctant, Levi obeyed. Debrief would be with the squad later that day in the early afternoon. To his surprise he slept through to two in the afternoon, only stirring when Eren started calling his name, seemingly after his shower. How he'd not heard the water running he wasn't sure, he was usually a light sleeper thanks to his many missions spent in the jungle on high alert at all times. 

Eren grinned at his Captain, whose hair was sticking up in every direction, his usual dark bags beneath his eyes lightened by the rest. "Mornin', sunshine!" Eren chirped, earning a groan from the older man as he unfurled and lay on his back, throwing his sheet over his face. 

"It's way too early for you to be in such a good mood." 

"Or maybe, it's the afternoon," Eren quipped back with a smile as Levi attempted to wake up. 

"So what, did you take an exceptionally good shit or something?" 

"Nope." Levi just groaned and dragged himself out of bed. Eren's was long since made since it seems he'd been up for a while. 

"When's debrief?" 

"As soon as you're ready." 

"Hm, alright." 

Once awake, fed, clean and clothed, Levi joined Eren downstairs through the narrow green and wooden panelled corridors to a familiar meeting room with a few lines of chairs like they'd had before they had left, aerial images still hanging on the walls and Erwin waiting for them and a few other squad members. Levi sketched it up to his recent infection being the cause of him sleeping for so long, as everyone else had been waiting for him. It wasn't how he would have liked to have debriefed, preferring to get it over and done with as soon as possible, but he appreciated the extra rest. 

Everyone was in, bar Marco, who was finally at the infirmary, and so Erwin stood from his seat and begun. He was still dressed in his full flak gear, bar a helmet and clearly the man had returned to camp only within the hour, having not slept from the latest excursion. There were probably still troops out on the river where the squad had passed them last night.

"Good afternoon everyone. Thank you all for your reports so far." So everyone had been awake long before Levi and already completed their reports. He wouldn't admit it out loud but he was proud of them, despite still feeling in some ways weak for needing to rest. 

"Send me yours later, Levi, it can wait." Levi nodded. "Anyway, I'll keep this brief. Congratulations on making it back alive. You are a credit to your country and I would like to personally thank you. Each one of you has my respect. However, the Titans are not yet defeated, they'll be around a while longer," nods bobbed throughout the room as smiles faded. "This won't be an easy win. They've controlled those jungles for years and they won't give it up without a fight. Your success on this mission was the turning point, not the final point." 

Hums of agreement echoed quietly in the small room. Once Erwin and Levi had jointly debriefed the squad, Erwin ordered them all to take three weeks of leave. Rest in the infirmary, see a counsellor, visit family, recharge their batteries. Their usual on-site routine would likely follow as soon as everyone had returned. Leaving debrief with huge relieved smiles on their faces at the unexpected leave time given, the squad returned to their dorm while Levi and Erwin continued with their own meeting down the hall in Erwin's office. 

Eren had no idea what Levi's plans were, but he knew he wanted to go straight to visit his dad, be it at the infirmary or at home. Everyone packed up or made arrangements to hang out on base for a few days while they made plans. Jean, Connie, Sasha and Armin would all be staying on base for a couple of days while they contacted family members or friends elsewhere in the city. Thankfully being part of the highest trained, elite para squad on base, they were entitled to much higher pay and benefits than standard infantry. 

Flights would all be complimentary for wherever they wanted to go (as a thanks for their service to their country), which was useful. With the news that would be spreading across the country like wildfire within the next week, the squad members would face praise and attention no matter where they went for their vacations. A few hours later Eren received a phone call from Levi and he shot to answer his phone within a heartbeat. 

"Hey Levi." 

"Hey, I'm on bed rest for a week. Erwin's orders," Levi informed him. Eren couldn't help but feel a small twinge of disappointment at not being able to spend time with his lover immediately, but the rest of him understood completely. "Go stay with Kenny or your dad or something, we'll do something next week, yeah?" 

"Alright, sounds good," Eren said, moving away from the main group in the dorm and lowering his voice as he stepped just outside the door. "How do you feel?" 

There was a shuffle on the other side of the line, Levi clearly walking somewhere, buzzing himself through doors within the complex, their familiar beeps and Levi's footsteps audible through the receiver. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just tired." 

"Pfft, you're exhausted," Eren laughed softly. Levi huffed in, quite truly, exhausted amusement. He didn't correct Eren's statement. "Well, just rest up yeah, I'll come and visit you." 

"Great. I'll probably be fine by a few days, Erwin just wants the nurses to have a look at me." 

"Alright then. Rest up, I'll see you soon." 

"Sure." 

"Hey, Levi?" Eren said quietly, checking over his shoulders and deeming the corridor quiet enough, still keeping his voice low after Levi hummed in acknowledgement. "I love you." 

"Love you too, Eren," Levi said just as softly before clearly being unable to speak freely, possibly making his way through the officer's building or the infirmary. Eren could still hear the care in his voice though. "Get out of the camp for a bit, call me if you need me." 

"Alright. Bye." 

"Bye."

As soon as Eren hung up, his phone rang again, as if waiting for him to get off the line. It was Erwin. 

"Commander?" 

"Hello Eren." 

"What can I do for you?" 

"Actually, Eren. It's what I can do for you..." 

His interest piqued, Erwin having ordered him, quite cryptically to the civilian airport for a short mission within the next week. He told Eren it would only require himself to complete and he simply needed to meet with a military contact and collect a document that would need to be posted. The Mitras airport was only ten minutes off his route to get to or from his dad's house, so he agreed. 

"So, this time next week at six..." 

"At the main arrivals terminal, yes." 

"Got it." 

With his orders, he located his dad's number and gave him a ring whilst heading back into the room to collect his bag. He waved to his squad and gave Armin a one-armed hug whilst he waited for Grisha to pick up, smiling fondly at all of them. 

"Hello?" Grisha said.

"Hey, it's me. You at work?" 

"Yes, I'm on break for another five minutes, what's up?" 

"Am I alright to stay with you for the next week? I have time off." 

"As a matter of fact I have two weeks off also, that's fine with me. You have a key, right?" 

"Uh, yeah." 

"If not, Hange is at home." 

"Oh great, okay. So I'll see you later?" 

"Without a doubt." 

Great, now with his accommodation sorted Eren made his way over to the parking lot beside the officer's buildings, finding himself Levi's truck and tossing his bag into it. Before he left, however, he had one more errand to run. 

It didn't take him long to be granted infirmary clearance to visit Thomas, Mina and Hannah. The three had been moved to a similar ward to Eren and Mikasa when they had been brought back, and fully understood what they would have been going through, having lived through it himself. They were scheduled to fly home the following week, so Eren wanted to spend as much time as he could before they left. Who knows, he may never see them again if they chose not to come back. He wouldn't blame them if they didn't. 

Their faces all lit up once Eren entered the room and despite all of Eren's attempts to spend some time with his dad, Hange, the squad or Levi, (who was just down the hall as a matter of fact), Eren spent most of the first week with these three. He would take breaks and go visit Levi who was working from his bed, something which would earn him a scolding from his nurses and Eren alike, and Eren would sleep at his dad's house. Between everyone he managed to balance out the first week really well, and by the time the three captives had been flown out, Eren had felt nothing but warmth for his friends returning home. He didn't have any regrets and wished them all well, told them to keep in touch if they could, and they parted on teary, pleasant tones. 

By the time he'd seen them off, Eren recalled his mission from Erwin. Checking his watch he realised he still had a few hours before he was meant to meet his military contact and so headed back to his dad's to pack his bag. Levi was planning on leaving his hospital room today, so he had time enough to pack up and go get him. He'd have to bring Levi along for his short mission but he could always leave him in the car to sleep as he usually did whenever Eren drove through the city. 

As planned, Levi was collected, a healthy glow to his cheeks as he kissed Eren quickly before jumping in the truck. He was much more energetic than usual and smiled at Eren with a warmth the brunet hadn't seen in a long time. 

"What's got you in such a good mood?" 

"Would you believe me if I said I was happy to see you?" 

"You saw me just this morning..." Levi cracked a slight grin at Eren as he pulled out and made his way away from the military compound. "I have to make a quick stop by the way, won't take long I promise." 

"Alright." Levi tapped at his phone for a few minutes, seemingly setting an out of office for his work emails before switching the device off entirely, stretching between the seats to slip it into his duffle bag behind them. The remainder of the trip Levi spent holding a hand over Eren's on the gearstick, intertwining their fingers gently or rubbing the side of his hand with his thumb. They'd only so much as pecked one another goodbye or greeting kisses when Levi was on his bed rest order, so now they were free of that, Eren was looking forward to ploughing into his Captain, and being roughly ploughed into in turn. Levi's gentle gestures and deeply caring nature was wonderful, but there was something bestial and enrapturing when Levi allowed himself to pick up the pace or pull a bit of hair. 

Eren pulls up at the airport, finding himself parking in a designated military zone, close to the entrance of the terminal. Levi made no attempt to move from the passenger seat, smiling as Eren waved him off and walked over to the terminal. It wasn't particularly busy this time of the week, but there was still an audible hum of voices echoing across the entire expanse of white floors and glass walls. Erwin had emailed him instructions to wait for a contact, even gave him a name to hold a card out for at the arrivals gate. 

Pulling the sheet of paper from his back pocket and unfolding it, double checking the gates and locations, Eren made his way over to the arrivals section and held his sheet out with the name on. It wasn't one he recognised, so he held it out and patiently waited, his phone out and texting Levi who was strangely slow to respond. It wasn't like he had anything else to be doing sat out in the car, but Eren bore with it, tapping his foot as he waited about ten minutes. 

A swarm of people started to walk out from the customs gates, a few shopping bags in hand beside their suitcases and foreign clothes. Eren hadn't even been given a description of his contact, so he carefully eyed each and every person to check for interest as their eyes scanned over his sheet of paper, none of whom recognising their own name. It was well past six by the time Levi finally called him. 

"What's up?" Eren asked. 

"Has your contact shown up yet?" 

"Nah, I don't think so, I don't even know what they look like." 

"Pretty sure this is them." 

"Huh?" 

"I think I found them." Eren furrowed his brows and wondered how the hell he could have missed them. He'd shown up right on time, perhaps their flight came in early?

"Uh, shall I come back to the car, then?" 

"Yeah, do that." Eren hung up and folded his paper back into his pocket, hands in pockets as he made his way back to the car. Levi was stood outside of the truck speaking to a body with a black hoodie over their head and dark denim pants. Eren felt confused as the body wasn't holding any sort of envelope as he was meant to collect. He approached and straightened up, expecting himself to be judged based on his actions, remembering to be as much of a military role model as he could be. 

The body turned and Eren gasped loudly, body instantly relaxing from his 'expected demeanour' as he pulled Mikasa into a tight hug. She had to crane her neck upward as Eren smushed his face into the crook of her neck, holding her so tightly Levi was sure he'd snap her in half if he didn't already know how durable the woman was. 

Mikasa pulled her hood down as Eren stood back to take in the sight of his friend in the flesh after almost a year apart. He'd missed her like crazy but only now having her here in person did he realise just how much. She looked much healthier in person rather than on-screen, and sure Eren had known she was doing much better now back home and safe, but the bright smile on her face and the slight blush on her cheeks from the warm evening was something he'd sorely missed. 

"What are you-" 

"Doing here? Surprise!" Mikasa said with soft laughter. Eren looked at Levi who simply shrugged and smiled at him. The smug little bastard had known about it from day one, probably. "I came to visit, like I said I would." 

"How long are you here for?" Eren asked as Levi extracted the keys from his back pocket, Eren or Mikasa paying him no mind as he rounded the truck and threw their bags into the front seat so the pair could sit in the back and catch up on the drive home. 

"I'm on a break from school for two weeks, so I'm here for ten days. I have homework when I get back, otherwise I would have stayed longer..." 

"Oh cool, I've got another two weeks off too." Eren beamed as Levi drove them back to Kenny's barber. They chatted between themselves, often including Levi with Eren's stories of battle and the jungle, and training. He had after all spent the best part of the last eight months solely by the Captain's side. 

Mikasa too shared her shorter stories of her studies, her home life, the usual. Because they had stayed in such good contact over video chats since Mikasa's departure, there wasn't really much to catch up on beside the last two months since Eren and Levi had left for their mission. Certain parts of it would need to be saved for another day, a quieter time, such as Mike and Ymir and the various injuries, but for now Eren spent his time talking Mikasa's ears off about Levi, the jungle and even more Levi. 

They arrived back to the barber shop in no time at all and Mikasa was given the spare bedroom on Kenny's floor to sleep in for her stay. Levi headed up to bed before Eren as he stayed up until late with Mikasa, chatting and catching up and just enjoying each other's company as if they would be separated again tomorrow. It took Levi coming down in the early hours of the morning and reminding them that Mikasa was here for ten days for them both to get some sleep. 

Either way, everything that needed to be said had been said in the first night, which allowed time over the two weeks of her stay for Mikasa to be fully introduced to squad Levi, the commanders, pretty much everyone on base who Eren could name. He was so excited to show her his new life, the one she knew he'd wanted since he was a boy. She had brought over various treats from her home country, foreign foods and clothes and ornaments for Levi's loft, all of which would go treasured for years. 

On a lazy afternoon in the neighbour's pool on one of the rare sunny days, Kenny, Levi, Mikasa and Eren all enjoyed floating around on their rubber rings in the sunshine, chatting lightly or splashing water at each other. Levi reserved his energy and rather chose to work on his tan as much as he could whilst the sun was out. Eren loved when he'd been out for a long time, training or resting, and he'd get to smear after sun over his firm shoulders or all over his defined abs. Life was truly wonderful. 

"Hey can I get an opinion?" Eren asked as he balanced Levi on top of him precariously, careful not to move too much to disrupt either of them into the water. Eren had a large, firmly inflated ring, wide enough for two, but naturally Levi wanted to lounge on top of him instead. Their relationship was no secret to Levi's uncle or Mikasa. Levi was currently stroking his fingers over the uneven, lighter skin of Eren's chemical burn across his left shoulder, prompting the conversation topic. The question was more for Levi, but loud enough for Kenny and Mikasa to be involved. 

"I'm thinking of getting a tattoo to cover this..." Eren gestured with his eyes to his shoulder and the others all looked at him with curious expressions. Levi didn't seem displeased by the idea and kept trailing his fingers over the area, softly and tenderly. He was probably the first person who knew how insecure Eren still occsionally felt about his scars. 

"It's a good idea, what did you want to get?" Kenny asked, taking a swig from his cold drink. Eren shrugged as he looked down at his skin.

"I was thinking maybe a front and back shoulder thing, with a sleeve to the elbow. That'd cover most of it I think." 

"Have a design in mind?" Mikasa asked next, thanking Kenny for passing her a new drink herself. Levi rested his head against Eren's chest, closing his eyes and feeling his heartbeat and steady breath, enjoying the way his chest rumbled when he spoke to answer Mikasa. 

"Maybe a jungle design? You know, like plants, flowers and birds, maybe a Jaguar in there too? I haven't really thought about it too much, I wanted to make sure it was okay with you guys..." Eren specifically looked at Levi, stroking a hand down his back as he spoke those words, letting him know he wanted him to be happy with the choice before Eren went ahead with anything. 

"It's your body, I'll love you either way," was all Levi said. 

"Yeah, what about Farlan?" Kenny asked. Levi tensed in Eren's arms and didn't move for a long time.

"I suppose. He is good." 

"More like the best. Despite your past I reckon he'd give you a discount," Kenny said with a wink, confusing Eren and Mikasa alike as Levi remained silent. "Farlan is Levi's ex, he's ex military but he opened up an ink shop on the other side of the city." 

"Ah, right. You sure, Levi?" 

"I wouldn't trust you with anyone else," Levi said, returning to closing his eyes and lying against his younger lover. 

"Alright then, I guess it's settled." 

Eren would be introduced to Farlan a few days later, who seemed friendly enough. He, similar to Marco, was missing both legs, prosthetics in their place. He drew up a large design for the affected area and once Eren and he had agreed on a pattern, a few pieces of input requested from Levi, they went ahead with it. It would take a few trips to get all of the line art and colouring done, but eventually the piece would be beautiful, and certainly not Eren's final tattoo. Levi didn't share any details about his past relationship with the man and Eren didn't feel the need to ask for details either, all that mattered was Levi was his here and now. 

His left arm and shoulder would be littered with vibrant greens in various shades as the leaves merged together effortlessly, small pops of colour or intricately penned animals snuck through the foliage. There would even be a small plant of lemongrass toward the expertly faded border of the design. Levi asked if Eren wanted to cover the collar indent on the nape of his neck, but he'd reasonably said it was out of sight, so out of mind and as long as it didn't bother Levi, which it didn't, it wouldn't bother him. 

Mikasa was taken up to Shiganshina as well as shown more thoroughly around Mitras and a few neighbouring areas, treating her like a tourist princess, showing her all the sights to see and taking her to all the most popular restaurants. During multiple different trips, various other scouts would join them, or sometimes Eren's dad and Hange. Erwin even joined them for lunch on one occasion. Needless to say, everyone was sad to see her go, but she guaranteed she'd be back sooner than they'd have time to miss her. Eren and Levi would also, much further down the line, go to her country and visit her. They would remain extremely close. 

Nearing the end of their three week break, Levi and Eren were curled up beneath a blanket in the loft, the rain trickling down the outsides of the window and double doors beside the bed. Eren could still feel the tingle of pain on his left side as his shoulder and arm was still sore from the second bout of ink he'd gone to get yesterday, effectively completing the line art before the colouring. His other side however felt warm and relaxed, Levi cuddled up against him as they slept lightly, not talking or rousing just yet, making the most of the content feeling. 

They stayed like that for what must have been the best part of an hour, the sun not having risen yet and thus not yet time to get up. 

Levi shuffled lightly and scooted out from under the colourful blanket and kissed Eren's cheek and brushed his hair from his eyes before getting up. "Gotta pee." Eren mumbled happily, staying where he was and quickly falling back to sleep. He completely missed the sound of Levi's shower running next door and lost track of time as he dozed. 

It was some time later when the sound of footsteps within the room finally roused Eren from his lazy slumber. He felt rested, so waking was simple, but a glance at his watch on the bedside table indicated it wasn't even six yet. So accustomed to rising early, the habit had stuck with them both even as they had time off. It suited them just fine, both preferring morning sex over night time activities, preferring to rest early and feel better for it the next morning. 

"Morning, love." 

"Mmm, morning Levi." 

Eren felt the bed shift and Levi had sat beside him, hair damp but fully dressed in his combats and black tee shirt. He leant over and placed a gentle kiss on his younger lover's lips, smiling at him. 

"Am I going to have to carry you to base?" 

"Maybe." 

"C'mon Eren, get up," Levi lightly smacked his bare chest and he twitched slightly at having his fresh tattoo disturbed with the movement. 

"But I'm comfortable, why we gotta go anywhere today?" 

"Because," Levi said with a laugh, "we've got orders."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your support over the last seven months whilst I bashed this fic out! All your encouraging, amusing and sincere comments were greatly appreciated and kept me smiling and motivated. It went exactly to plot-plans, only with a few deviations where certain parts took longer than I thought they would. 
> 
> Anyhoo, come pester me on tumblr or leave a comment! Thanks for reading! 
> 
> *backflips out*


End file.
